Kano govt debunks report of diphtheria killing 50 children in Rano

Kano State Government has dismissed reports that diphtheria outbreak killed 50 children in Rano Local Government Area of the state.

The Director-General, Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, described the claim attributed to Ibrahim Muhammad, member representing Rano Constituency, as unverified and misleading.

Abbas, in a statement on Friday, said available surveillance data 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 said the centre had recorded 32 diphtheria cases in the area, with 25 patients treated at the Diphtheria Treatment Centre, Rano General Hospital, while seven others were treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Kano.

The KNCDC boss said 94 per cent of those affected had not been vaccinated, while 91 per cent presented late for treatment, stressing that early detection and prompt treatment were critical to containing the disease.

He expressed concern over the delay in reporting suspected cases to health facilities and urged residents to promptly seek medical attention whenever symptoms of diphtheria were noticed.

Abbas also criticised the lawmaker for allegedly making unverified claims without consulting the state Ministry of Health or KNCDC, noting that similar claims had been made by him in October 2025.

He said such claims could mislead the public and undermine disease surveillance and response efforts in the state.

According to him, KNCDC had deployed a team to communities where the alleged deaths were said to have occurred, but the team could not verify the claims despite engaging residents.

He explained that the state’s disease surveillance system involved traditional institutions, Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers, Ward Focal Persons, Community Informants, Community Mobilisers, Surveillance Focal Persons and Field Volunteers.

The director-general said the agency had also attempted to meet with the lawmaker to obtain first-hand information about the alleged deaths, but the effort had not yielded any result.

He said such information would assist the centre in investigating the claims, including conducting verbal autopsies where necessary.

Abbas commended the Kano and Federal Governments for their continued support for disease surveillance and outbreak response, and reaffirmed KNCDC’s commitment to strengthening surveillance and rapid response to disease outbreaks across the state.