Kano Govt debunks report of Diphtheria deaths of 50 children in Rano

The Kano State Government has dismissed reports that an outbreak of diphtheria in Rano Local Government Area of the state has killed 50 children, describing the figure as unverified and misleading.

The state government, through the Kano State Centre for Disease Control , NCDC, had said available surveillance records did not support the reported death toll attributed to the member representing Rano Constituency, Ibrahim Muhammad.

Director-General of the KNCDC, Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, while clarifying the situation surrounding the diphtheria outbreak in the local government area.

According to him, although there is a confirmed diphtheria outbreak in Rano and the disease has claimed lives, the figure of 50 deaths being circulated is not contained in the centre’s surveillance records.

He said the centre’s records showed that two deaths from diphtheria were recorded in Rano in 2026, while a cumulative total of 29 deaths had been documented between July 2023 and August 2026.

Prof. Abbas further disclosed that 32 diphtheria cases had been recorded in the local government, with 25 patients receiving treatment at the Diphtheria Treatment Centre located at Rano General Hospital, while seven others were treated at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) in Kano.

He said surveillance data also showed that 94 per cent of those affected had not received diphtheria vaccination, while 91 per cent of the patients presented at health facilities late.

The KNCDC boss expressed concern over the delay in reporting suspected cases and seeking medical attention, stressing that early detection and prompt treatment were critical to preventing complications and deaths associated with the disease.

He urged residents to report suspected cases immediately to the nearest health facility and cooperate with public health officials in ongoing surveillance and outbreak response activities.

Prof. Abbas also faulted the lawmaker for allegedly making public claims about the outbreak without first consulting the relevant health authorities, including the Kano State Ministry of Health and the KNCDC.

He said the lawmaker had made similar unverified claims in October 2025, warning that repeated dissemination of unverified information could create unnecessary panic, mislead members of the public and undermine efforts by health authorities to monitor and contain disease outbreaks.

The KNCDC director-general said the centre had subsequently deployed a team to communities mentioned by the lawmaker as being affected by the alleged deaths.

He said the team engaged residents and conducted inquiries in an effort to establish the reported deaths but had, so far, been unable to verify the claim that 50 children had died from diphtheria.

According to him, it would be difficult for such a high number of deaths to occur without the cases being captured by the state’s established community and disease surveillance mechanisms.

He listed the structures involved in the surveillance system to include traditional institutions, Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers, Ward Focal Persons, Community Informants, Community Mobilisers, Surveillance Focal Persons and Field Volunteers.

“These structures provide regular reports to the KNCDC and other health partners as part of the state’s disease surveillance system,” he said.

Prof. Abbas explained that the surveillance structures were designed to ensure that suspected cases and deaths occurring within communities were promptly reported to health authorities for investigation and response.

He said the KNCDC had also made efforts to meet with the lawmaker to obtain first-hand information concerning the alleged deaths.

The meeting, he said, was intended to establish the source of the information, determine whether the lawmaker had been misinformed and, importantly, obtain details that could enable health officials to locate the families of the alleged victims.

According to him, such information would allow the centre to conduct further investigations, including verbal autopsies where necessary, to establish the actual causes of the reported deaths.

He, however, said efforts to establish contact with the lawmaker and obtain the necessary information had so far been unsuccessful.

The KNCDC director-general reiterated that the government was not denying the existence of diphtheria in Rano, stressing that the disease remained a public health concern requiring sustained surveillance, vaccination, early detection and prompt treatment.

He said the distinction was between acknowledging the confirmed outbreak and circulating an unverified figure of 50 deaths which, according to available official data, could not be substantiated.

Prof. Abbas also commended the Kano State Government and the Federal Government for their continued support for disease surveillance, case management and outbreak response across the state.

He reaffirmed the KNCDC’s commitment to strengthening disease surveillance systems, ensuring rapid response to suspected outbreaks and working with communities, health workers, traditional institutions and other stakeholders to prevent and control infectious diseases across Kano State.

The clarification comes amid growing public concern over reports of diphtheria infections in parts of Kano State, with health authorities urging residents to rely on verified information and promptly report suspected cases to health facilities.