The Kano State Government has dismissed reports that 50 children have died from diphtheria in Rano Local Government Area, saying official surveillance data does not support the figure.
The Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), Professor Muhammad Adamu Abbas, said 32 diphtheria cases had been recorded in Rano, with 29 deaths cumulatively recorded between July 2023 and August 2026. He added that only two deaths were recorded in the area in 2026.
Recall that on Tuesday, the member representing Rano Constituency in the Kano State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Muhammad, raised the alarm over the deaths of 50 children from diphtheria in the area and called on the state government to urgently intervene to contain the outbreak and prevent further deaths.
However, the KNCDC dismissed the claim of 50 deaths as unverified and misleading.
“The death toll being circulated is not supported by the centre’s surveillance data,” Professor Abbas said.
According to him, 25 of the 32 patients were treated at the Diphtheria Treatment Centre at Rano General Hospital, while seven others received treatment at the Infectious Disease Hospital in Kano.
The KNCDC boss also disclosed that 94 per cent of those affected had not been vaccinated, while 91 per cent presented late for treatment.
He said the figures highlighted the importance of vaccination and early medical intervention in preventing deaths from the disease.
“Early detection and treatment remain critical to containing the spread of the disease,” Professor Abbas said.
The KNCDC Director-General said the centre had deployed a team to communities where the reported 50 deaths were allegedly recorded, but the team had so far been unable to verify the claims.
He questioned how 50 deaths could have occurred without being reported through the state’s disease surveillance network.
“How can 50 deaths occur without being reported through the existing community and disease surveillance structures?” Abbas queried.
He said these structures, which include traditional institutions, disease surveillance officers, ward focal persons, community informants and field volunteers, regularly provide reports to the KNCDC and other health partners.
Professor Abbas also said the centre had attempted to meet with the lawmaker who made the claim to obtain first-hand information and identify the families of the alleged victims.
He said such information would allow health officials to investigate the claims further, including conducting verbal autopsies where necessary.
The KNCDC boss, however, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening disease surveillance, rapid response and efforts to prevent and control outbreaks across Kano State.