The Kano State Government has appealed to the Federal Government to provide additional doses of diphtheria vaccines as the state steps up efforts to contain an outbreak of the disease and prevent further deaths.
The Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control, Professor Muhammad Abbas, made the request while addressing journalists on Tuesday night. He said the state had formally written to the Federal Government seeking more vaccines to support a mass immunisation campaign across Kano.
The appeal follows growing concerns over diphtheria cases in Rano Local Government Area and other parts of the state. The Kano State House of Assembly had earlier raised the alarm over the reported deaths of more than 50 children in Rano and called for urgent government intervention.
Abbas said the state was determined to expand vaccination coverage and reach vulnerable communities as part of its response to the outbreak.
He disclosed that Kano had recorded more than 38,000 suspected diphtheria cases since 2022, with more than 31,000 subsequently confirmed. A major concern, according to him, is the high number of children who had never received any vaccination.
He said more than 55 per cent of the confirmed cases involved children classified as “zero-dose” children, meaning they had not received any form of vaccination. Another significant proportion of patients had received only some of the recommended vaccines.
The figures, he said, demonstrate the scale of the challenge facing the state and the importance of increasing routine immunisation as well as emergency vaccination campaigns.
The state disease control agency has also deployed 126 disease surveillance and notification officers across Kano's 44 local government areas to strengthen monitoring and ensure suspected cases are identified and reported.
Abbas, however, expressed concern over delays in reporting suspected cases to healthcare facilities. He urged parents and other residents to seek medical attention as soon as symptoms associated with diphtheria or other serious illnesses appear.
He stressed that early presentation at healthcare facilities can significantly improve the chances of successful treatment and allow health authorities to respond quickly when an infectious disease is suspected.
According to the health official, some cases have reportedly remained within communities without being taken to hospitals, making it more difficult for health authorities to establish the true scale of the outbreak.
He appealed to residents to cooperate with health workers and report suspected cases promptly so that patients can receive appropriate care and authorities can take necessary public health measures.
The state is also investigating reports of deaths attributed to diphtheria in Rano. Abbas said health officials had travelled to the area to establish the circumstances surrounding the reported deaths.
He explained that health authorities would conduct what is known as a verbal autopsy in cases where the exact cause of death is unclear. This involves interviewing relatives and examining the circumstances surrounding a person's death to determine the most likely cause.
The investigation is particularly important because not every death reported within an outbreak area is necessarily caused by the disease. Authorities therefore want to establish the actual cause of each suspected diphtheria-related death.
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that can cause severe complications and can be fatal, particularly among unvaccinated children. Vaccination remains one of the most effective ways of preventing the disease and reducing the risk of outbreaks.
The Kano government's request for additional vaccines is therefore aimed at expanding protection among vulnerable populations and preventing further transmission.
The situation also highlights the importance of routine childhood immunisation, particularly in communities where vaccination coverage remains low.
Health authorities have continued to encourage parents to ensure that children receive recommended vaccines and to seek medical assistance promptly whenever they develop symptoms of serious infectious diseases.
The Kano State Government is expected to continue working with the Federal Government and relevant health agencies to obtain additional vaccines and strengthen the response to the outbreak.
The state's ability to secure sufficient vaccine supplies will be important as authorities seek to conduct wider immunisation across affected communities and prevent the outbreak from spreading further.
For residents, health officials have emphasised that early reporting, vaccination and prompt medical attention remain critical components of the response.
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