A Kano father, Ibrahim Yusuf, has lost five of his children to suspected diphtheria within eight days, as the state's outbreak continues to claim lives. The children—Sadiq, 13; Aisha, seven; Zainab, seven; Umar, six; and Aliyu, one and a half—died after being admitted to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in Kano, the facility designated by the state government to manage diphtheria cases.
Father recounts harrowing loss of five children
Yusuf, a resident of the Danbare area of Kano metropolis, said the ordeal began last week when his children developed fever. He first took them to Kabuga Primary Healthcare Centre, but as their conditions worsened, doctors referred them to the IDH. Two of his children died on the same Monday, roughly 40 minutes apart. "They told us it was diphtheria. They admitted them, but two of them died the same day," he said.
Three other children later showed similar symptoms and were also admitted to the IDH. "On Tuesday night, another child died, while on Wednesday, two more also died, bringing the total deaths in my house to five within eight days," Yusuf added. He has 11 children in total and said the deaths have left his family devastated.
Hospital staff confirm rising fatalities
Yusuf said he witnessed multiple corpses being taken from the hospital during his days there. "People are dying in the hospital almost every day. In our neighbourhood too, another man lost his child. There are many cases," he said, appealing to the government to act swiftly to contain the spread.
Efforts to reach the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) were unsuccessful. The agency's Director-General, Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas, was not at his office when a reporter visited, and calls and text messages went unanswered. However, a staff member who spoke anonymously confirmed the five deaths and said the number of fatalities at the facility was growing.
State records over 38,000 cases since 2022
In August, Ibrahim Muhammad, the lawmaker representing Rano Constituency in the Kano State House of Assembly, said at least 50 children had died in his constituency alone. Residents suggested the real figure was higher, as some deaths occurred at home and were never reported. The KNCDC disputed the lawmaker's figure, saying only two deaths had been officially confirmed in that local government area.
The agency said the state had recorded more than 38,000 suspected diphtheria cases since the outbreak began in 2022, with over 31,000 confirmed and more than 1,800 deaths. Health experts have noted that more than 55% of cases in Kano involve children who have never received any vaccine.
Doctors explain diphtheria's impact and prevention
Dr Aminu Mato Jitandutse of the Community Medicine Department at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital described diphtheria as a serious bacterial infection caused by toxin-producing strains of Corynebacterium diphtheriae. The disease spreads through respiratory droplets and close contact. "The toxin produced by the bacteria can damage the heart, nerves and other organs, making early recognition, treatment and prevention very important," he said.
Symptoms include sore throat, fever, swollen glands, and in severe cases a thick greyish membrane over the throat and a swollen "bull neck." Complications can include heart inflammation, nerve damage, paralysis, and death. Dr Jitandutse urged routine childhood vaccination, early isolation of confirmed cases, and preventive antibiotics for close contacts.
Vaccination gaps and government response
The state government has requested 9 million doses of diphtheria vaccines from the federal government, after the Ministry of Health sent only 500,000 doses alongside a rapid response team. Earlier campaigns by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and the state Ministry of Health vaccinated nearly half a million children across two rounds, but officials say the immunity gap remains wide.
Daily Trust observed health workers vaccinating children in affected neighbourhoods, with more than 400 children reached during one visit. In a related development, the Plateau State Government has ordered the immediate closure of all public and private primary and secondary schools across the state to stop the spread of a diphtheria outbreak that has already killed dozens of residents. The Kano outbreak continues to strain health facilities, with families like Yusuf's bearing the heaviest burden as authorities work to bridge the vaccination gap.
