- “We are investigating the reported deaths to establish what actually happened,” Professor Abbas said”
The Kano State Centre for Disease Control, KNCDC, has begun investigating reports that more than 50 children died in Kano Local Government Area following suspected cases of diphtheria.
The investigation followed concerns raised by the Kano State House of Assembly over the reported deaths.
KNCDC Director-General, Professor Muhammad Abbas, said 32 diphtheria cases had been officially recorded in the local government area this year.
He said 25 of the cases were reported in August, six in July and one in May.
According to Professor Abbas, seven of the 32 patients were admitted to the Infectious Disease Hospital, IDH, which serves as the designated isolation and treatment centre for diphtheria cases in Kano.
He said an active case search conducted on 19 August, following four reported cases on 13 August, identified 10 additional cases and two deaths.
«“We are investigating the reported deaths to establish what actually happened,” Professor Abbas said.»
He explained that the difference between the officially recorded cases and the reported deaths of more than 50 children could be linked to late reporting and the fact that some patients were treated at home or by traditional healers.
The KNCDC boss said health officials were conducting verbal autopsies by interviewing relatives of some of the deceased to determine whether diphtheria was responsible for their deaths.
He urged parents and caregivers to take children with suspected symptoms of the disease to health facilities without delay.
“Late presentation can lead to severe complications and death,” he warned.
Kano State has recorded more than 38,000 suspected diphtheria cases since the outbreak began in 2022, with more than 31,000 subsequently confirmed, Professor Abbas said.
He added that more than 55% of confirmed cases involved zero-dose children who had never received any vaccination, while about 16% were partially immunised.
The figures, he said, underscored the need to intensify vaccination across the state.
The state government, according to the KNCDC director-general, continues to provide medicines and other medical supplies for treating diphtheria cases.
The centre also conducts reactive vaccination and provides preventive treatment to people who have been in contact with confirmed cases.
Professor Abbas commended the Kano State Government and the State House of Assembly for their support, while urging residents to promptly report suspected infectious diseases to primary, secondary or tertiary health facilities.
