Insufficient vaccination coverage, due to factors like vaccine hesitancy, lack of access to healthcare, or breakdowns in healthcare infrastructure, can lead to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like diphtheria.
Movement of people across borders can facilitate the spread of infectious diseases, including diphtheria, to regions where vaccination coverage may be inadequate.
Diphtheria treatment relies on antibiotics. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of the diphtheria bacterium could complicate efforts to control outbreaks.
In some regions, limited healthcare resources may hinder effective surveillance and timely diagnosis of diphtheria cases, allowing outbreaks to go undetected or untreated.
Socioeconomic disparities, poverty, and inadequate access to healthcare can contribute to the persistence of diphtheria in certain populations.