By Abdullahi Yusuf
The Kano State Government has dismissed reports that 50 children have died from a diphtheria outbreak in Rano Local Government Area of the state.
The report, attributed to the member representing Rano Constituency, Ibrahim Muhammad, alleged that diphtheria had claimed the lives of 50 children in the area.
However, the Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), Prof.Muhammad Adamu Abbas, in a statement, described the claim as unverified and misleading.
Prof.Abbas acknowledged that while the outbreak is real and claimed lives, the death toll being circulated is not supported by the centre’s surveillance data.
He said available records showed that two deaths were recorded from diphtheria in Rano in 2026, while a total of 29 deaths had been recorded cumulatively between July 2023 and August 2026.
According to him, the centre recorded 32 diphtheria cases in Rano, with 25 patients treated at the Diphtheria Treatment Centre at Rano General Hospital and seven others treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Kano.
The KNCDC boss further disclosed that 94 per cent of the affected persons had not been vaccinated, while 91 per cent presented late for treatment.
He expressed concern over the delay in reporting suspected cases to health facilities, stressing that early detection and treatment remained critical to containing the spread of the disease.
The director-general also criticised the lawmaker for allegedly making unverified claims without first consulting relevant authorities, including the Kano State Ministry of Health and the KNCDC.
He said the lawmaker had made similar unverified claims in October 2025, adding that such statements could mislead the public and undermine ongoing disease surveillance and response efforts.
He said the centre had deployed a team to communities where the lawmaker claimed were affected by the outbreak, but that the team had so far been unable to verify the reported deaths despite engaging with residents.
Prof.Abbas questioned how 50 deaths could occur without being reported through existing community and disease surveillance structures, including traditional institutions, Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers, Ward Focal Persons, Community Informants, Community Mobilisers, Surveillance Focal Persons and Field Volunteers.
According to him, these structures provide regular reports to the KNCDC and other health partners as part of the state’s disease surveillance system.
He said the KNCDC had also made efforts to meet with the lawmaker to obtain first-hand information on the reported deaths and determine whether he had been misinformed or if he could provide information that would lead health officials to the families of the alleged victims.
He said such information would enable the centre to conduct further investigations, including verbal autopsies where necessary, but added that efforts to establish contact had so far been unsuccessful.
The KNCDC Director-General, however, commended the Kano State and Federal Governments for their continued support in disease surveillance and outbreak response.
He reaffirmed the centre’s commitment to strengthening surveillance, ensuring rapid response and working with relevant stakeholders to prevent and control disease outbreaks across the state.