Panic as diphtheria kills 50 children in Kano

About 50 children have been killed in an outbreak of Diphtheria in Kano State.

Lawmaker representing Rano Constituency in the Kano State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Muhammad, raised alarm that several others are currently hospitalised as a result of the situation.

The lawmaker told the Assembly during plenary that the outbreak was particularly severe in Ridin and Sabuwar Kaura communities, where most of the victims lost their lives.

• EPL: Rooney Names Two Man Utd Stars Carrick Should Drop Against Ipswich Town
• God, Not Don Jazzy Made Me Successful – Wande Coal

He said although emergency measures, including the provision of medication and deployment of health workers, had been initiated, additional support was urgently required to contain the disease.

Muhammad appealed to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the Commissioner for Health to provide further emergency assistance to the affected communities.

Supporting the motion, Usman Abubakar Tasiu, member representing Kiru Constituency, said the outbreak had spread to communities in Kiru, including Kwanar Dangora, Dangora town and Yelwan Paki.

He called for the establishment of an emergency committee to coordinate efforts in Rano, Tudun Wada, Kibiya, Bunkure, Bebeji and Kiru Local Government Areas.

Similarly, the member representing Dawakin Tofa Constituency, Saleh Ahmad, urged the government to intensify vaccination and other preventive measures, warning that diphtheria is highly contagious and could spread rapidly to neighbouring communities.

Majority Leader of the House, Lawan Husseini, also called on the government to invoke the state’s Health Protection Law to contain the outbreak.

He explained that the law empowers the government to provide emergency relief and free healthcare, as well as restrict movement and isolate affected areas during outbreaks of infectious diseases.

The House subsequently adopted the motion and directed its Committee on Health to engage with the Ministry of Health on implementing the law and providing emergency relief to affected communities.