Kano Father Loses Five Children to Diphtheria in Eight Days

A resident of Kano State, Ibrahim Yusuf, has recounted the heartbreaking experience of losing five of his children to suspected diphtheria within eight days, as concerns grow over the spread of the deadly disease across the state.

Yusuf, who lives in the Danbare area of Kano metropolis, said the tragedy began last week when his children developed fever and were taken to a primary healthcare centre in Kabuga.

According to him, the children were initially treated at the facility but were later referred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) after their conditions deteriorated.

He said two of his children died on the same Monday, approximately 40 minutes apart.

“They told us it was diphtheria. They admitted them, but two of them died the same day,” he said.

Yusuf explained that three other children subsequently developed similar symptoms and were also admitted to the hospital.

However, another child died on Tuesday night, while two others died on Wednesday, bringing the total number of deaths in his family to five within eight days.

The deceased children were identified as Sadiq, 13; Aisha, seven; Zainab, seven; Umar, six; and Aliyu, one year and six months old.

The grieving father, who has 11 children, said the deaths had left his family devastated.

He also expressed concern over what he described as frequent deaths at the hospital, claiming that he had seen several bodies being taken away from the facility.

Yusuf alleged that other families in his neighbourhood had also lost children to the disease and appealed to the government to intensify efforts to contain the outbreak.

“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 reported that health officials were administering diphtheria vaccines to children in the affected area, with more than 400 children reportedly vaccinated.

Health Agency Confirms Five Deaths

A staff member of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), who spoke anonymously because he was not authorised to address the media, confirmed the five deaths.

The staff member also said the number of deaths recorded at the health facility was increasing.

Efforts to obtain an official response from the agency's Director-General, Professor Muhammad Adamu Abbas, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

In August, the lawmaker representing Rano Constituency in the Kano State House of Assembly, Ibrahim Muhammad, raised the alarm over the outbreak, claiming that at least 50 children had died in his constituency.

However, the KNCDC disputed the figure, stating that only two deaths had been officially confirmed in the local government area at the time.

The agency disclosed that Kano had recorded more than 38,000 suspected diphtheria cases since the outbreak began in 2022, with over 31,000 confirmed infections.

Kano Requests Nine Million Vaccine Doses

The Kano State Government had previously requested nine million doses of diphtheria vaccines from the Federal Government to address the outbreak.

However, the state reportedly received only 500,000 doses, alongside a rapid-response task force, a supply officials described as insufficient to meet the growing demand.

According to figures cited in the report, Kano has recorded more than 39,000 suspected cases, over 31,000 confirmed infections and more than 1,800 deaths since 2022.

Health experts have identified low immunisation coverage as a major factor contributing to the outbreak.

More than 55 per cent of reported cases reportedly involve children who have never received any vaccine, while another 10 to 15 per cent involve children who have received only partial immunisation.

Previous vaccination campaigns conducted by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in collaboration with the state Ministry of Health administered 835,000 doses in two rounds, reaching nearly half a million children.

Despite these efforts, health officials say significant gaps in immunity remain.

The KNCDC has also warned against dangerous traditional practices in which some parents reportedly seek assistance from local healers or barbers to remove the membrane that can develop in the throats of children with diphtheria. Such practices can cause bleeding and potentially fatal complications.

Medical Expert Explains How Diphtheria Kills

Dr Aminu Mato Jitandutse of the Community Medicine Department at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital described diphtheria as a serious, vaccine-preventable bacterial infection caused mainly by toxin-producing strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae.

He explained that the disease commonly affects the nose and throat and spreads through respiratory droplets released when infected people cough or sneeze. Transmission can also occur through close contact with infected individuals or contaminated materials.

According to him, the toxin produced by the bacteria can damage the heart, nerves and other organs, making early diagnosis and treatment essential.

Symptoms include sore throat, fever, painful swallowing, weakness, swollen neck glands and, in severe cases, significant swelling of the neck.

Other warning signs include a thick greyish or whitish membrane in the throat, hoarseness, coughing, nasal discharge and difficulty breathing.

Severe complications may include inflammation of the heart, abnormal heart rhythms, nerve damage, paralysis, kidney problems, airway obstruction and death.

Jitandutse emphasised the importance of routine childhood vaccination and booster doses to prevent the disease.

He advised that suspected cases should be identified and treated promptly, while confirmed patients should be isolated to reduce transmission.

He added that close contacts should be assessed quickly and may require preventive antibiotics and vaccination.

The medical expert also recommended regular handwashing, covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, avoiding the sharing of personal items and cleaning frequently touched surfaces.

Health authorities have continued to urge residents to ensure that their children receive recommended vaccinations and to seek immediate medical attention if symptoms of diphtheria appear.

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