The Australian government has announced a major emergency health package worth 7.2 million Australian dollars (approximately USD 5.14 million) to combat the country’s largest diphtheria outbreak since national record-keeping began.

Australian Health Minister Mark Butler said authorities are moving quickly to contain the outbreak after 230 cases of diphtheria were reported nationwide in 2026. Health officials stated that nearly 60 percent of the infections have been recorded in the Northern Territory, while additional outbreaks have emerged in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.

The emergency funding package includes 5.2 million Australian dollars for the National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre to support booster vaccination campaigns, treatment programs and procurement of additional vaccines and antibiotics. Another 2 million Australian dollars will go to the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation to strengthen culturally appropriate public health outreach, community liaison and local support services.

Officials described the outbreak as the most serious resurgence of the bacterial disease in decades. The Northern Territory recently recorded Australia’s first diphtheria-related death in nearly ten years after a fatality was confirmed on May 15. Authorities had declared an official outbreak in March — the first major diphtheria outbreak in the region since the 1990s.

Health experts warned that diphtheria remains a highly contagious bacterial infection that can become life-threatening in severe cases. The disease primarily affects the throat and respiratory system and was once a major cause of childhood deaths before widespread vaccination programs drastically reduced infections worldwide.

The Australian government stressed that vaccination remains the strongest defense against the disease. Current national guidelines recommend diphtheria vaccinations for children at two, four, six and 18 months of age, followed by booster doses at four years and again between ages 11 and 13. Adults are advised to receive booster shots at age 50, while higher-risk individuals are encouraged to receive boosters every five years.

Health authorities also pointed to growing post-pandemic vaccine hesitancy and uneven healthcare access in remote communities as possible contributors to the outbreak’s spread.

Minister Butler said the government’s response aims to ensure communities receive the support, medical care and vaccinations needed to prevent further infections and protect vulnerable populations.