The Kano State Government has stepped up efforts to contain diphtheria following concerns over reported deaths linked to the disease in Rano Local Government Area.
As part of the response, the government has established a Special Committee on Diphtheria Outbreak Response to coordinate surveillance, vaccination and treatment activities across the state.
The committee was inaugurated on Friday by the Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, according to a statement issued by the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Nabilusi Abubakar Ahmad.
Labaran said the committee would strengthen coordination among relevant agencies and communities to prevent further transmission.
“The committee was established to ensure a stronger and coordinated response to the disease and to prevent its further spread across the state,” he said.
Diphtheria, according to the commissioner, remains a significant public health concern in Kano, where cases have been recorded since December 2022. He stressed that the highly contagious nature of the disease required immediate action from government and communities.
He identified vaccination and early access to healthcare as essential to controlling the outbreak, urging parents and caregivers to ensure that children who qualify for vaccination receive the required doses.
The commissioner also advised residents to seek medical attention immediately when diphtheria is suspected rather than waiting for symptoms to worsen.
The newly constituted committee is expected to improve the identification and reporting of suspected cases, strengthen surveillance systems, document cases appropriately and intensify vaccination campaigns in communities with low coverage.
It will also monitor the referral and follow-up of suspected patients to ensure they receive appropriate treatment.
To strengthen its reach, the committee includes representatives of the state government, local government councils and emirate councils.
Labaran urged the members to take the assignment seriously, saying their coordinated efforts would be critical to limiting the spread of the disease and protecting residents.
The committee’s chairman, Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, who is also the Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control, assured the commissioner that members would work with relevant stakeholders to deliver on their mandate.
He said the committee would focus on improving surveillance, vaccination and outbreak response across the state.
The government’s latest intervention follows a warning from the Kano State House of Assembly over the reported impact of diphtheria in Rano.
The House last week called on Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to urgently intervene after a motion by the member representing Rano Constituency, Ibrahim Malami, alleged that more than 50 children had died from the outbreak in the local government area.
The motion was presented during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Jibril Isma’il Falgore.
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