A Kano resident, Ibrahim Yusuf, has narrated how he lost five of his children within eight days to suspected diphtheria, as the disease continues to raise concern in the state.
Yusuf, who lives in the Danbare area of Kano metropolis, said his ordeal began last week when his children developed fever.
He said he initially took them to Kabuga Primary Healthcare Centre, but as their conditions worsened, they were referred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH), the facility designated by the state government to manage diphtheria cases.
According to him, two of his children died on the same Monday, about 40 minutes apart.
“They told us it was diphtheria. They admitted them, but two of them died the same day,” he said.
Yusuf said three other children subsequently developed similar symptoms and were also admitted to the IDH.
“On Tuesday night, another child died, while on Wednesday, two more also died, bringing the total deaths in my house to five within eight days,” he said.
Recounting the deaths, he said one of the children died on Tuesday night and was buried the following morning, while another died at about 10am on Wednesday and was buried at noon.
He said the third child died at about 5pm on Wednesday and was buried at 8am the following day.
The grieving father identified the deceased as Sadiq, 13; Aisha, seven; Zainab, seven; Umar, six; and Aliyu, one year and six months old.
“They all died in quick succession,” he said.
Yusuf, who has 11 children, said the tragedy had left his family devastated.
He also claimed to have seen several corpses being taken away from the hospital, suggesting that the outbreak was affecting many families.
“Honestly, I saw many bodies being taken away. I cannot count them, but people are dying in the hospital almost every day. In our neighbourhood too, another man lost his child. There are many cases,” he said.
He appealed to the authorities to intensify efforts to contain the disease.
“We are calling on the government to stop this outbreak before it spreads further. Every day people are dying. Our plea is for them to act quickly,” he said.
Daily Trust observed health officials administering diphtheria vaccines to children in the area, with more than 400 children reportedly vaccinated.
Health officials in Kano have repeatedly warned about the spread of diphtheria and urged residents to get vaccinated and seek early medical attention when symptoms occur.
Five deaths confirmed
Efforts to obtain the position of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) were unsuccessful.
When our reporter visited the agency’s headquarters, he was informed that its Director-General, Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, was not available.
Several calls to his telephone were neither answered nor returned, while text messages sent to him had not received a response as of press time.
However, a staff member of the agency, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, confirmed the five deaths and said the number of deaths recorded at the health facility was increasing.
Earlier in August, the lawmaker representing Rano Constituency in the Kano State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Muhammad, raised concern over the situation, claiming that at least 50 children had died in his constituency.
Residents, however, said the actual figure could be higher because some deaths occurred at home and were not reported to health authorities.
The KNCDC disputed the figure, saying only two deaths had been officially confirmed in the local government.
The agency also said Kano State had recorded more than 38,000 suspected diphtheria cases since the outbreak began in 2022, with more than 31,000 confirmed.
Kano’s previous plea for vaccines
Kano State Government had earlier requested 9 million doses of diphtheria vaccines from the federal government to stem the deadly outbreak sweeping across its communities.
The appeal comes after the Ministry of Health dispatched only 500,000 doses alongside a rapid response task force, a supply officials said is far short of the need.
Since 2022, the state said it has recorded over 39,000 suspected cases, 31,000 confirmed infections, and more than 1,800 deaths, with recent fatalities in Rano Local Government.
Health experts warn that the crisis is compounded by poor immunisation coverage, as more than 55 per cent of cases involve zero-dose children who have never received any vaccine, while another 10–15 per cent are only partially immunised.
Earlier campaigns by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the state Ministry of Health administered 835,000 doses in two rounds, reaching nearly half a million children, but the immunity gap persists.
The KNCDC said the situation is worsened by traditional practices where some parents turn to local healers or barbers to cut the diphtheria membrane in children’s throats, often leading to bleeding and death.
How diphtheria kills – Medical expert
Dr Aminu Mato Jitandutse of the Community Medicine Department at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital described diphtheria as a serious, vaccine-preventable bacterial infection caused mainly by toxin-producing strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae.
He said the infection commonly affects the nose and throat, and spreads mainly through respiratory droplets from coughing or sneezing, as well as close contact with infected people or contaminated materials.
“The toxin produced by the bacteria can damage the heart, nerves and other organs, making early recognition, treatment and prevention very important,” he said.
Symptoms include sore throat, painful swallowing, fever, weakness, swollen glands in the neck and, in severe cases, a markedly swollen “bull neck”.
Other signs include a thick greyish or whitish membrane over the tonsils or throat, hoarseness, cough, difficulty breathing and nasal discharge.
Severe disease can cause heart inflammation, abnormal heart rhythm, nerve damage, paralysis, kidney problems, airway obstruction and death.
Jitandutse stressed the importance of routine childhood vaccination and booster doses, as well as early identification and treatment of suspected cases.
He said confirmed cases should be isolated to reduce transmission, while close contacts should be assessed promptly and may require preventive antibiotics and vaccination.
He also advised regular handwashing, covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, avoiding the sharing of personal items and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.
(Daily Trust)
