Kano Assembly Urges Urgent Action as Diphtheria Claims Over 50 Children

The Kano State House of Assembly has called on the state government to urgently intervene in the reported outbreak of diphtheria in Rano Local Government Area, which has allegedly claimed the lives of more than 50 children.

The call followed a motion of urgent public importance raised by Ibrahim Muhammad, member representing Rano Constituency, during Tuesday’s plenary presided over by the Speaker, Jibril Ismail Falgore.

Muhammad said the outbreak was particularly severe in Ridin and Sabuwar Qaura communities, where more than 50 children had reportedly died from the disease.

He said although emergency measures, including the provision of medication and deployment of health workers, had commenced, more support was required to contain the outbreak.

The lawmaker appealed to Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf and the Commissioner for Health to provide additional emergency assistance to the affected communities.

Supporting the motion, Usman Abubakar Tasiu, representing Kiru Constituency, said the disease had also spread to communities in Kiru, including Kwarin Dangora, Dangora town and Yelwa.

Tasiu disclosed that an APC youth leader in Kiru reportedly lost two children to the disease in one day.

He called for the establishment of an emergency committee to coordinate containment efforts across Rano, Tudun Wada, Kibiya, Bunkure, Bebeji and Kiru Local Government Areas.

Similarly, Saleh Ahmad, member representing Dawakin Tofa Constituency, urged the government to intensify vaccination and other preventive measures to curb the spread of the disease.

Ahmad warned that diphtheria was highly contagious and could spread rapidly to neighbouring communities if urgent measures were not taken.

The Majority Leader of the House, Lawan Husseini, urged the government to invoke the state’s Health Protection Law to contain the outbreak.

He said the law empowered the government to provide emergency relief and free healthcare, as well as restrict movement and isolate affected areas where necessary during outbreaks of infectious diseases.

The Assembly subsequently adopted the motion and directed its Committee on Health to engage with the Ministry of Health on the implementation of the law and provision of emergency relief to affected communities.