Kano Diphtheria Outbreak Claims Over 50 Children as Assembly Demands Urgent Action

By Habeeba Sanda Lemu 

More than 50 children have reportedly died following a fresh outbreak of diphtheria in parts of Rano Local Government Area of Kano State, prompting the Kano State House of Assembly to demand immediate government intervention.

THE NATIONAL LENS reports that the alarm was raised during plenary after the lawmaker representing Rano Constituency, Ibrahim Muhammad, drew the attention of the Assembly to the worsening situation in some communities.

Muhammad identified Ridin and Sabuwar Qaura as among the areas worst affected by the outbreak, saying a large number of children had already lost their lives.

He acknowledged that some emergency measures had been introduced, including the provision of medicines and the deployment of health workers, but maintained that the scale of the crisis required additional support.

The lawmaker appealed to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the state Ministry of Health to strengthen the response by providing more medical personnel, drugs and other emergency assistance to the affected communities.

Concerns were also raised over reports that the outbreak may be spreading beyond Rano.

The member representing Kiru Constituency, Usman Abubakar Tasiu, told the Assembly that cases had also been reported in communities including Kwarin Dangora, Dangora town and Yelwa.

He called for the establishment of an emergency coordination mechanism covering Rano, Tudun Wada, Kibiya, Bunkure, Bebeji and Kiru local government areas to prevent further spread.

The latest development comes against the background of Kano's prolonged battle with diphtheria. Health authorities and humanitarian organisations have carried out extensive vaccination and treatment campaigns in the state, with Médecins Sans Frontières reporting that more than 835,000 diphtheria vaccinations were administered during two recent vaccination rounds.

According to MSF, Kano recorded more than 31,900 suspected cases and over 1,260 deaths between March 2022 and March 22, 2026, underscoring the continuing threat posed by the vaccine-preventable disease.

The World Health Organisation has previously identified Kano as one of the areas carrying the heaviest burden of diphtheria in Nigeria and stressed the importance of sustained immunisation, early detection and prompt treatment.

The renewed reports of fatalities have therefore placed fresh pressure on health authorities to intensify surveillance, vaccination and treatment efforts, particularly in rural communities where access to healthcare can be difficult.

The Kano Assembly's intervention is expected to further push the state government and health agencies towards a coordinated emergency response aimed at stopping additional deaths and preventing the outbreak from spreading to more communities.