Kano Father Loses Five Children to Diphtheria Outbreak

Ibrahim Yusuf, a resident of the Danbare area in Kano metropolis, tragically lost five of his children to suspected diphtheria within eight days. The ordeal began when his children developed fever, leading him to seek treatment at Kabuga Primary Healthcare Centre.

As their conditions worsened, they were referred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), where two children died on the same day. Over the following days, three more children exhibited similar symptoms, resulting in additional fatalities.

Yusuf's children included Sadiq, 13; Aisha, seven; Zainab, seven; Umar, six; and Aliyu, one year and six months old. He reported witnessing multiple deaths at the hospital and called for government intervention to control the outbreak.

The Kano State Government's health agency, KNCDC, confirmed the increasing number of fatalities, with over 38,000 suspected diphtheria cases and more than 1,800 deaths recorded since the outbreak began in 2022. Dr. Aminu Mato Jitandutse emphasized the seriousness of diphtheria, a bacterial infection that can lead to severe complications.