Dalena Reporters l December 24, 2025
Nigeria has recorded 153 deaths from measles and 19,213 confirmed cases of the highly infectious viral disease in the first 11 months of 2025, according to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC). The figures form part of the agency’s measles situation report covering January through November 2025.
During this period, the NCDC documented 26,866 suspected measles cases nationwide across 507 local government areas in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with 19,213 (about 72 percent) of those subsequently confirmed through laboratory, epidemiological or clinical classification.
The report shows that children aged 9–59 months were most affected, accounting for nearly 49 percent of confirmed infections, and that the vast majority of cases occurred in children who had not received any dose of the measles vaccine (“zero-dose” children) — roughly 14,801 of 19,213 confirmed cases (over 77 percent).
The outbreak was most concentrated in parts of northern Nigeria, with Borno (7,968), Zamfara (4,779), Yobe (2,076), Bauchi (1,574) and Kebbi (1,357) accounting for more than 66 percent of suspected cases reported over the period.
Although no measles deaths were recorded in November itself, the cumulative toll of 153 fatalities reported by the NCDC reflects ongoing challenges in controlling the spread of a disease that remains preventable through vaccination.
Measles — a viral illness marked by fever, rash, cough and red eyes — spreads easily through respiratory droplets and can be severe, especially in young, unvaccinated children. Health officials say gaps in routine immunisation coverage are a key driver of the outbreak.
In response, public-health authorities and state governments have been ramping up vaccination campaigns. For example, Ogun State announced plans to vaccinate 2.9 million children aged nine months to 14 years against measles and rubella beginning January 20, 2026, to reduce future cases and deaths.
The NCDC continues to urge parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive measles vaccinations as part of routine immunisation, stressing that high vaccination coverage is essential to prevent further deaths and outbreaks as Nigeria enters the next phase of the public-health calendar.
Published by Dalena Reporters.