Diphtheria: Kano records 32,000 cases, 1,800 deaths since 2022 outbreak — KNCDC

The Kano State Centre for Disease Control, KNCDC, has confirmed 32,000 cases of diphtheria out of 39,000 suspected cases recorded since the disease first broke out in the state in December 2022.

The centre also disclosed that more than 1,800 people had died from the disease during the period.

The Director-General of the KNCDC, Professor Muhammad Abbas, disclosed this on Saturday at a media chat with selected journalists in Kano.

According to him, more than 25,000 of the confirmed cases were children, with 16,000 of them found to have received no dose of diphtheria vaccine, while 9,000 had been fully vaccinated.

He said the vaccination gap provided an important explanation for the continued spread of the disease across communities.

“The disease is vaccine-preventable, yet thousands of children remain vulnerable because they have never received the protection that routine immunisation is designed to provide.

“Some cases are confirmed through laboratory tests using nasal and throat swabs. Others are clinically confirmed where the characteristic signs and symptoms are obvious, while epidemiological confirmation may be made when a person has been exposed to a confirmed case within an outbreak setting.

“The figures are not being hidden. They are necessary for public health action. It is our duty — the law says we must inform the people of Kano when these things happen,” he said.

Mr Abbas attributed the recurrent outbreaks to late presentation of patients by families, as well as the involvement of traditional medicine practitioners in the treatment of affected persons.

He explained that diphtheria is an acute illness that can deteriorate rapidly, warning that delays in seeking medical attention could have serious consequences.

According to him, by the time some children arrive at health facilities, the disease may have already progressed significantly, making treatment more difficult.

The KNCDC boss also recalled investigations conducted in Rano Local Government Area, which he described as the epicentre of the disease, where health officials discovered that some affected children had allegedly been taken to traditional barbers who attempted to remove the characteristic membrane associated with diphtheria.

He said there were also instances where traditional healers allegedly attempted to cut the necks of affected children.

Mr Abbas said health officials subsequently engaged traditional healers and barbers to educate them on the dangers associated with such practices and the need to refer patients requiring specialised medical attention to health facilities.

“The message was not that traditional practitioners had no role to play, but that they needed to recognise the limits of their practice and refer patients when faced with conditions requiring specialised medical care.

“We are not against your services, but know your own limits,” he said.

The director-general said the state government had adopted proactive measures to contain the outbreak and improve access to treatment for affected communities.

He said the government had decentralised diphtheria treatment centres to Rano, Bichi, Wudil, Tudun Wada and other parts of the state to enable residents to access treatment without having to travel long distances to Kano metropolis.

Mr Abbas said the decentralisation of treatment services had also helped to reduce delays in accessing care and save lives.

“The experience also forced the state to rethink how diphtheria treatment was organised. Initially, many patients from distant communities had to travel to Kano metropolis to access treatment.

“For poor families, the journey could involve commercial transportation and long hours on the road.

“Apart from delaying treatment, such movement could expose other passengers and communities to infection.

“The state therefore decentralised diphtheria treatment services. Treatment centres were established in locations including Rano, Bichi, Wudil, Tudun Wada and other parts of the state,” he said.