The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reports that since the beginning of the year, a cumulative total of 7,619 diphtheria cases have been reported-which includes 4,718 confirmed and 2,901 suspected cases.
The diphtheria death toll has reached 100, for a CFR of 3.4 percent.
To date, cases have been reported from 15 of the 36 states and the federal capital territory (FCT).
25 percent of cases were fully vaccinated against diphtheria.
Last year, the NCDC declared the 2023 diphtheria outbreak in the country the worst in a decade, with the previous outbreak occurring in 2011 in Nigeria.
The outbreak began in Kano State in December 2022 and spread to neighboring states. Through December 24, 2023, a total of 22,293 suspected cases were reported from 36 states across 297 LGAs.
Only 3,376 (25.2%) out of the 13,387 confirmed cases were fully vaccinated with a diphtheria toxoid-containing vaccine.
A total of 598 deaths (CFR: 4.5%) were recorded among confirmed cases.
In Africa, in addition to Nigeria, four other African Union Member States have reported diphtheria cases-Chad, Gabon, Guinea and Niger- accounting for more than 11,000 cases and 162 deaths.