The Kano State Government has dismissed reports that diphtheria claimed the lives of 50 children in Rano Local Government Area of the state.
The claim, attributed to the member representing Rano Constituency, Ibrahim Muhammad, alleged that 50 children had died from the disease in the area.
However, the Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, described the reported figure as unverified and misleading.
Abbas acknowledged that diphtheria remains an ongoing health concern in Rano and that the outbreak has resulted in deaths, but said the figure of 50 fatalities was not supported by the centre’s surveillance data.
According to him, available records showed that two deaths were recorded from diphtheria in Rano in 2026, while 29 deaths had been recorded cumulatively between July 2023 and August 2026.
He disclosed that 32 diphtheria cases had been recorded in the area, with 25 patients treated at the Diphtheria Treatment Centre at Rano General Hospital and seven others treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Kano.
The KNCDC boss further revealed that 94 per cent of those affected had not been vaccinated, while 91 per cent presented late for treatment.
He expressed concern over delays in reporting suspected cases to health facilities, stressing that early detection and prompt treatment were critical to containing the spread of the disease.
Abbas also criticised the lawmaker for allegedly making the claim without first consulting relevant authorities, including the Kano State Ministry of Health and the KNCDC.
He alleged that the lawmaker had made similar unverified claims in October 2025, warning that such statements could mislead the public and undermine ongoing disease surveillance and outbreak response efforts.
The Director-General said the KNCDC had deployed a team to communities identified by the lawmaker as being affected by the outbreak, but the team had so far been unable to verify the reported deaths despite engaging with residents.
He questioned how 50 deaths could occur without being reported through the state’s established community and disease surveillance structures.
These structures, he explained, include traditional institutions, Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers, Ward Focal Persons, Community Informants, Community Mobilisers, Surveillance Focal Persons and Field Volunteers.
He said the structures provide regular reports to the KNCDC and other health partners as part of the state’s disease surveillance system.
Abbas added that the centre had made efforts to meet with the lawmaker to obtain first-hand information about the alleged deaths and determine whether he had been misinformed or could provide information that would enable health officials to identify the affected families.
Such information, he said, would allow the centre to conduct further investigations, including verbal autopsies where necessary.
He, however, said efforts to establish contact with the lawmaker had so far been unsuccessful.
The KNCDC Director-General commended the Kano State and Federal Governments for their continued support for disease surveillance and outbreak response.
He reaffirmed the centre’s commitment to strengthening surveillance, ensuring rapid response and collaborating with relevant stakeholders to prevent and control disease outbreaks across the state.
