Over 50 children killed in Kano diphtheria outbreak – Lawmakers

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The Kano State House of Assembly on Monday called on Governor Abba Yusuf to urgently intervene in a diphtheria outbreak that has reportedly killed over 50 children in Rano Local Government Area.

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The call followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Rano Constituency, Ibrahim Muhammad, during Monday’s plenary presided over by the Speaker, Ismail Falgore.

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Moving the motion, Muhammad said the outbreak was particularly severe in the Ridin and Sabuwar Kaura areas of the local government, resulting in the deaths of more than 50 children.

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“Although emergency measures had been taken, including the purchase of medication and deployment of health workers to the affected communities, further intervention is needed to contain the outbreak,” he said.

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Muhammad urged Yusuf and the state Commissioner for Health to provide additional emergency support to the affected communities.

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He expressed concern that the outbreak had recurred after a similar incident claimed several lives in the area last year.

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“We want to inform the Governor and the Commissioner for Health to send further emergency aid to the region because the disease has spread heavily in that area,” he said.

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Supporting the motion, the member representing Kiru Constituency, Usman Abubakar Tasiu, said the outbreak had spread beyond Rano to communities in Kiru, including Kwarin Dangora, Dangora town and Yelwa.

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Tasiu disclosed that an APC youth leader in Kiru town lost two children to the disease within one day.

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He called for the establishment of an emergency committee to tackle the outbreak in affected local government areas, including Rano, Tudun Wada, Kibiya, Bunkure, Bebeji and Kiru.

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Another lawmaker representing Dawakin Tofa, Saleh Ahmad, urged the government to intensify vaccination and other preventive measures, warning that diphtheria was contagious and could spread rapidly to neighbouring communities.

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In his contribution, the Majority Leader, Lawan Husseini, also urged the state government to invoke the state’s Health Protection Law to contain the outbreak.

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He said the law empowers the government to provide emergency relief and free healthcare, as well as isolate and restrict movement in areas affected by infectious diseases.

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The House subsequently approved the motion and directed its Committee on Health to engage the Ministry of Health on the implementation of the law and provision of emergency relief to the affected communities.

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