Brazzaville – As diphtheria continues to pose a threat across eight African Member States, Ministers of Health have renewed their political commitment to halt the resurgence of this vaccine-preventable disease. The renewed pledges aim to strengthen immunization systems, coordinate partners, and accelerate country-level action to protect vulnerable populations.
The high-level advocacy meeting, convened by WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Mohamed Janabi, brought together Ministers of Health and senior representatives from Chad, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and South Africa, along with key partners including UNICEF, GAVI, and Africa CDC. The meeting focused on government leadership in immunization, partner alignment, and coordinated response to ongoing outbreaks.
Representatives from GAVI and UNICEF reaffirmed their commitment to closing immunization gaps and promoting healthier, more resilient communities in affected and at-risk countries. Over 90% of reported diphtheria cases have occurred among unvaccinated or under-immunized children, highlighting persistent gaps in routine immunization coverage and access to essential health services.
Dr Mohamed Janabi emphasized that diphtheria is entirely preventable with existing vaccines, tools, and knowledge. He stressed the shared responsibility of governments and partners to ensure that no child dies from this disease and underscored the importance of primary health care as a foundation for health security.
WHO continues to support Member States by enhancing surveillance, laboratory confirmation, case management, vaccination campaigns, and coordination of limited global supplies of diphtheria antitoxin. Despite these efforts, gaps in financing, laboratory capacity, timely detection, access to essential medicines, and community engagement remain key challenges slowing progress.
The resurgence of diphtheria reflects broader systemic vulnerabilities, including stagnant immunization coverage, fragile primary health-care systems, and lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have widened immunity gaps. In conflict-affected and displaced populations, insecurity and service disruptions further limit access to care, increasing the risk of severe disease and death.
Dr Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC, highlighted the importance of strengthening community engagement and expanding vaccine manufacturing in Africa to reinforce routine immunization and primary health-care systems. The meeting included reviews of the current situation, shared country experiences, and identification of priority actions requiring sustained political and financial support.
Key actions discussed include scaling up catch-up and routine vaccination to close immunity gaps, strengthening surveillance and laboratory capacity for early detection, improving clinical management to reduce fatalities, and ensuring reliable access to essential medicines. Dr Mohamed Mahmoud Ely Mahmoud, Minister of Health of Mauritania, emphasized the importance of strong coordination and expressed gratitude to WHO, Africa CDC, and other partners for their ongoing support.
The meeting concluded with a call to action from the WHO Regional Director, urging Member States to reaffirm their commitment to ending diphtheria. He emphasized that every child and community must be protected from vaccine-preventable diseases and that decisive action on surveillance, immunization, and rapid response can make diphtheria elimination achievable across the region.
