By Khadijah Aliyu
More than 16,000 zero-dose children and late presentation for treatment have been identified as major factors fuelling diphtheria cases and deaths in Kano State.
The Director-General, Kano State Centre for Disease Control, KNCDC, Dr. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, disclosed this while speaking on the state’s disease surveillance and response efforts, saying misinformation and harmful traditional practices are also contributing to fatalities.
According to him, more than 32,000 diphtheria cases have been confirmed in Kano since the outbreak began in December 2022, out of over 39,000 suspected cases investigated through laboratory, clinical and epidemiological confirmation.
Dr. Abbas said more than 1,800 people have died from the disease during the period, stressing that the state government will continue to make relevant disease information available to the public to enable communities take preventive measures.
He explained that more than 16,000 of the confirmed cases were children who had never received any vaccination, while over 9,000 were fully vaccinated.
Others were either partially vaccinated or had no records of their vaccination status.
The KNCDC boss said late presentation is another major challenge, explaining that diphtheria is an acute disease that can deteriorate rapidly.
He urged parents and caregivers to seek medical attention immediately when children develop symptoms suggestive of the disease.
He expressed concern that some families take affected children to traditional practitioners or barbers to remove the membrane that forms in the throat, warning that such practices could cause further injury and expose the patients to complications.
Dr. Abbas said the state government has engaged traditional healers, barbers and community leaders to educate them on the dangers of treating suspected diphtheria cases outside recognised health facilities, with emphasis on early referral.
On misinformation, he said the state has a rumor-tracking mechanism that monitors reports from communities and social media platforms to identify and investigate claims that could signal disease outbreaks or mislead the public.
The Director-General also dismissed reports that more than 50 children had died from diphtheria in Rano Local Government Area, saying official surveillance records showed 32 cases between January and August 26, 2026, with two deaths recorded.
He said seven of the Rano patients were referred to an isolation centre because of complications, while 25 were treated at the designated diphtheria treatment centre, adding that analysis showed 94 percent had never received any form of vaccination and 91 percent presented late.
Dr. Abbas appealed to parents, community leaders and journalists to support disease surveillance by promptly reporting suspected cases and avoiding the spread of unverified information, stressing that vaccination, early presentation and accurate information are key to reducing diphtheria-related deaths in Kano.
Editing By Godwin Duru
