African Ministers of Health reaffirm commitment to diphtheria response

On 17 December 2025, health ministers from Chad, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, South Africa and other representatives met in Brazzaville under the auspices of WHO Africa Regional Director Dr Mohamed Janabi. The high‑level meeting reaffirmed political leadership to strengthen immunisation systems, improve surveillance, laboratory capacity and access to diphtheria antitoxin, and to close immunity gaps among children. Partners including UNICEF, GAVI and Africa CDC pledged continued support. The resurgence of diphtheria in eight member states is linked to gaps in routine vaccination, fragile primary health‑care systems and the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic. Participants identified priority actions such as catch‑up vaccination campaigns, enhanced case management, and increased financing for outbreak response.