Diphtheria Outbreak Claims Lives of Children in Kano

Ibrahim Muhammad, the member representing Rano constituency in the Kano state House of Assembly, stated on Thursday that an outbreak of diphtheria has resulted in the deaths of no fewer than 50 children in Rano local government area. He made this announcement while moving a motion of urgent public importance during a plenary session, identifying Ridin and Sabuwar Kaura as the most affected communities.

Muhammad called for urgent government intervention, noting that emergency measures, including the procurement of drugs and deployment of health workers, had been initiated but were insufficient given the outbreak's scale. He urged the governor to direct the Commissioner for Health to provide additional emergency aid.

In contrast, the Kano state Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), led by Prof. Muhammad Adamu-Abbas, reported only two confirmed deaths from diphtheria in Rano, based on official records. The KNCDC plans to conduct a verbal autopsy to investigate the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths.