Kano State Government has dismissed reports that a diphtheria outbreak in Rano Local Government Area claimed the lives of 50 children, describing the figure as unverified and misleading.
The Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), Professor Muhammad Adamu Abbas, said available surveillance data did not support the reported number of deaths attributed to the disease.
Abbas, in a statement issued on Friday, confirmed that diphtheria was present in Rano and had resulted in fatalities, but said only two deaths were recorded from the disease in the local government area in 2026.
He added that the cumulative number of diphtheria-related deaths recorded in Rano between July 2023 and August 2026 stood at 29.
According to him, the KNCDC had recorded 32 diphtheria cases in Rano, with 25 patients treated at the Diphtheria Treatment Centre at Rano General Hospital, while seven others received treatment at the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), Kano.
The KNCDC boss said 94 per cent of those affected had not been vaccinated, while 91 per cent presented for treatment late, stressing that early detection and prompt treatment remained critical to reducing fatalities and containing the spread of the disease.
Abbas was reacting to a claim attributed to the member representing Rano Constituency, Ibrahim Muhammad, who reportedly alleged that 50 children had died from the outbreak.
He criticised the lawmaker for allegedly making the claim without first consulting the Kano State Ministry of Health or the KNCDC, noting that he had made similar unverified claims in October 2025.
According to Abbas, such claims could mislead the public and undermine ongoing disease surveillance and outbreak-response efforts.
He disclosed that the KNCDC had deployed a team to communities identified by the lawmaker as being affected by the alleged outbreak. However, he said the team had so far been unable to verify the reported 50 deaths despite engaging residents in the affected communities.
Abbas questioned how such a high number of deaths could occur without being reported through the state’s established community and disease surveillance structures.
He listed traditional institutions, Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers, Ward Focal Persons, Community Informants, Community Mobilisers, Surveillance Focal Persons and Field Volunteers among the structures that routinely report suspected cases to the KNCDC and other health partners.
The director-general further said the centre had made efforts to meet with the lawmaker to obtain first-hand information about the alleged deaths and establish whether he had been misinformed or possessed information that could help health officials identify the families of the alleged victims.
He explained that such information would enable the centre to conduct further investigations, including verbal autopsies where necessary, but said attempts to establish contact with the lawmaker had so far been unsuccessful.
Abbas commended the Kano State and Federal Governments for their continued support for disease surveillance and outbreak response.
He reaffirmed the KNCDC’s commitment to strengthening disease surveillance, ensuring rapid response and working with relevant stakeholders to prevent and control outbreaks across the state.
