835,000 Children Vaccinated Against Diphtheria in Kano

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) concluded a three-year intervention in Kano, Nigeria, where 835,000 children were vaccinated against diphtheria. The campaign, carried out in collaboration with the Kano State Ministry of Health, included two rounds of mass vaccinations from April to June 2026, reaching 348,080 children in the first round and 486,948 in the second across 20 wards.

Abdoul Aziz Djibrilla, MSF project coordinator in Kano, noted that the outbreak placed enormous pressure on families and health facilities, with 100 children admitted daily at the peak of the outbreak in late 2025 and early 2026. Although cases have declined recently due to the vaccination efforts, diphtheria remains a serious health threat, exacerbated by low immunization coverage and overcrowded healthcare facilities.

MSF treated 14,707 children at treatment centers and supported the strengthening of referral systems. From March 2022 to March 2026, Nigeria recorded 31,900 suspected cases and 1,260 deaths, representing a significant proportion of the country's total suspected cases and deaths reported by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).