Nigeria, May 30 -- Nigeria is grappling with one of its most severe public health emergencies in recent history as a nationwide diphtheria outbreak continues to claim lives and strain healthcare systems.

The bacterial infection, which is vaccine-preventable, has resurged with alarming intensity, affecting both urban and rural communities.

Since 2022, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has recorded over 41,000 suspected diphtheria cases across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

More than 24,800 of these cases have been confirmed, and at least 1,264 deaths have been reported the majority of which are children.

States like Kano, Yobe, Katsina, and Borno have borne the brunt of the outbreak, with Ka...