Kano logs 32,000 diphtheria cases, 1,800 deaths since 2022

Spanning four years from December 2022 onward, Kano State's disease control centre has verified 32,000 diphtheria cases resulting in 1,800 fatalities. The KNCDC Director-General, Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, noted that approximately 39,000 suspected instances underwent investigation during this timeframe, with the confirmed tally reflecting cases that met diagnostic criteria.

Children lacking any vaccination coverage have borne the brunt of this epidemic. Zero-dose youngsters—those who had never received a single immunisation dose—comprised more than 55 per cent of positive cases.

Inadequate immunisation programmes within routine childhood healthcare delivery across the state has been identified as a key driver of transmission among this vulnerable population. To combat the disease, Kano State implemented a dual approach.

State leadership constituted a special oversight body headed by Prof. Abbas to examine reported cases and fatalities, focusing particularly on Rano Local Government Area as a priority zone. This committee's responsibilities encompass comprehensive outbreak assessment, bolstering surveillance frameworks, and blocking transmission pathways into neighbouring administrative divisions.

Concurrently, the state government expanded treatment availability by establishing multiple care facilities throughout less-developed regions. New centres opened in Rano, Bichi, Wudil, Tudun Wada, Dambatta and beyond.

The rationale stemmed from challenges encountered when residents of isolated settlements had to journey toward urban centres seeking medical care, a journey often involving lengthy transportation periods and potential disease transmission risks to others along the way.