The Director General, Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board (KPHMB), Dr Muhammed Nasiru Mahmoud has disclosed that diphtheria has killed 520 children in the state.
Dr Mahmoud disclosed this Tuesday at a media orientation organised for journalists from Jigawa, Katsina, Sokoto and Kano states by the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) in Kano.
He said suspected cases had hit 8,700 while confirmed ones had reached 6,300 across the state.
The DG said Kano state alone accounts for 80% of diphtheria cases in the country.
He said the prevalence is high mostly among the children, and youth of about 14 years old and below.
Also, the UNICEF Field Officer Kano, Mr Rahama Farah said the disease mostly affect unimmunised children, explaining that, out of the 44 LGAs in the state, the disease had spread to 39.
“Since January 2023, Kano state has reported over 5,800 accumulative cases of diphtheria in
the state but there was a decline in reported cases in June.
“As of last week, over 400 suspected cases with 11 deaths have been reported in Kano state.
“Eight LGAs are the most affected in the state; Ungogo 2651, Dala 989, Fagge 943, Gwale 714, Kumbotso 713, Nassarawa 538, Kano Municipal 506 and Tarauni 269,” he added.
He warned that Nigeria is mow facing an epidemic situation in which Kano state is the most affected with eight local governments badly infected.
He said from the analysis obtained, 60% children affected were those that not vaccinated against any disease.
He warned that unvaccinated children stand the risk of death or threat to survival because their immunity is weak