The Kano State Government has appealed to the Federal Government for additional diphtheria vaccines following reports of more than 50 children dying from the disease in parts of Rano Local Government Area.
The appeal was made by the Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control, Prof. Muhammad Abbas, during a press conference on Tuesday night, as health authorities moved to respond to growing concerns over the outbreak.
Abbas said the state had formally written to the Federal Government requesting additional vaccines to enable authorities to conduct mass immunisation across affected communities. He also urged residents, particularly parents and caregivers, to report suspected cases promptly to health facilities rather than waiting until patients become critically ill.
The development followed an alarm raised by the Kano State House of Assembly over the reported deaths in Rano. Lawmakers said the outbreak had particularly affected communities including Ridin and Sabuwar Kaura and warned that the disease could spread to neighbouring areas.
The member representing Rano Constituency, Ibrahim Muhammad, called for urgent intervention, urging the state government to deploy additional medical personnel, drugs and other emergency supplies to the affected communities. The Assembly subsequently pressed for stronger government action to contain the outbreak.
However, health authorities have cautioned that the reported figure of more than 50 deaths has not yet been officially confirmed as deaths caused by diphtheria.
The Kano State Centre for Disease Control said its preliminary active case search had identified 10 suspected cases and two officially recorded deaths in Rano. The agency said a team had been deployed to investigate the wider reports and determine the actual circumstances surrounding the deaths, including through verbal autopsies where necessary.
The clarification has introduced an important distinction between the deaths reported by lawmakers and the number currently verified by health officials. Authorities said some deaths in the communities may have resulted from other illnesses and that investigations were ongoing.
Nevertheless, the reported outbreak has heightened concern over vaccination coverage and access to timely medical care in rural communities.
Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial disease that can cause severe respiratory complications and death, particularly among children who are unvaccinated or inadequately vaccinated. Kano has historically been one of the states most affected by Nigeria’s diphtheria crisis.
Data released by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in July showed that Kano had recorded more than 31,000 suspected diphtheria cases and over 1,500 deaths since the outbreak began in 2023, although the figures cover the wider, prolonged outbreak rather than the current Rano episode alone.
MSF also warned that low immunisation coverage, overcrowding, delayed care-seeking and malnutrition continue to leave children vulnerable to the disease. The organisation recently concluded an emergency vaccination campaign in Kano during which more than 835,000 people were vaccinated in collaboration with the state Ministry of Health.
The renewed reports from Rano therefore raise questions about whether significant immunity gaps remain despite previous vaccination campaigns.
Health authorities have urged parents and caregivers to ensure children receive recommended vaccinations and to seek medical attention immediately when symptoms associated with diphtheria emerge.
For Kano, the immediate challenge is twofold: establishing the true scale of the reported deaths while rapidly strengthening surveillance, treatment and vaccination in affected communities.
With the state already seeking additional vaccines from the Federal Government, the response will test the ability of health authorities at both state and federal levels to prevent a localised outbreak from developing into a wider public health emergency.
The situation remains under investigation, but officials and lawmakers agree on one point: delayed action could cost more lives, particularly among children in vulnerable communities.
