The Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) has disclosed that the state investigated about 39,000 suspected diphtheria cases between December 2022 and August 2026, with about 32,000 cases confirmed positive and 1,800 deaths recorded.
The Director-General of KNCDC, Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, disclosed this while speaking with journalists, attributing the high incidence among children largely to inadequate immunisation, particularly among zero-dose children.
Prof. Abbas said more than 55 per cent of the confirmed cases involved children who had received no vaccination.
He further disclosed that more than 27 local government areas of the state had recorded diphtheria cases, although he said the situation was largely under control due to strengthened surveillance and response mechanisms.
According to him, the state government has provided drugs and other medical consumables to support the treatment of patients, while reactive vaccination campaigns are being conducted in communities and schools whenever cases are detected.
He also raised concerns over injuries allegedly associated with traditional barbering practices, saying such injuries could contribute to the vulnerability of children to infections.
The KNCDC boss urged parents and guardians to ensure that children receive routine vaccinations, stressing the importance of immunisation in preventing diphtheria and other vaccine-preventable diseases.
On cholera, Prof. Abbas said the state had identified 227 suspected cases, with laboratory tests confirming six current cases.
He urged residents to promptly report suspected cases to the nearest healthcare facility, stressing that early detection and treatment remained critical to preventing deaths and further transmission.
Prof. Abbas commended the Kano State House of Assembly, traditional institutions and community-based surveillance networks for their cooperation in disease detection and response.
He called for sustained collaboration between communities and health authorities to ensure that suspected cases are reported and investigated promptly
On the reported deaths in Rano Local Government Area, the KNCDC said investigations were ongoing, with health officials deployed to the area to gather further information and establish the actual number of cases and causes of death.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Government has constituted a Special Committee on Diphtheria Outbreak Response following reports of diphtheria cases and deaths in some local government areas, with particular concern over the situation in Rano.
The committee, chaired by Prof. Abbas, is expected to strengthen and coordinate ongoing response efforts, conduct a comprehensive assessment of the outbreak and take immediate measures to prevent further spread of the disease to neighbouring local government areas.
Members of the committee include the Director-General of the State Primary Healthcare Management Board, Prof. Salisu A. Ibrahim; Executive Secretary of the Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Mansur M. Nagoda; Director of Disease Control, SPHCMB, Dr. Tijjani Habibu; Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Dr. Ibrahim Aliyu Umar; and State Epidemiologist, KNCDC, Sulaiman Iliyasu Hamisu.
Representatives of the Kano, Rano, Karaye and Gaya Emirate Councils are also members, while Hussaini Rufai of the Monitoring and Evaluation unit of KNCDC serves as secretary.
The committee has been mandated to verify reported diphtheria cases and deaths across affected LGAs, strengthen disease surveillance systems and ensure daily reporting by Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers.
It will also establish a centralised data registry for tracking suspected and confirmed cases, identify immunisation gaps through intensified community mobilisation and sensitisation, and ensure the availability and timely supply of essential medical commodities to designated treatment centres.
The committee will further work closely with health personnel in affected local government areas to improve coordination, facilitate rapid information sharing, promote early detection and ensure effective management of the outbreak.
The state government urged residents, community leaders and other stakeholders to cooperate with health authorities by promptly reporting suspected cases and supporting ongoing public health interventions.
The government assured residents that it remained committed to protecting their health and would continue to take necessary measures to contain the outbreak and prevent its further spread across the state.
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