By Sandra Kenneth
Kano State is facing a severe healthcare crisis as confirmed cases of diphtheria top 32,000, spreading across all 44 local government areas of the state.
Speaking Tuesday on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, The Morning Brief, the Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), Dr. Muhammad Abbas, disclosed the alarming scale of the epidemic.
“From the start of the outbreak till date, we have a total of 39,536 suspected cases, out of which we have confirmed 32,633,” Abbas stated, confirming that the disease has now touched every single local government area in the state.
The outbreak has claimed 1,744 lives so far, with approximately 14.5 percent of all confirmed patients requiring hospitalization for severe symptoms.
Health authorities emphasize that halting the spread will require a massive, state-wide immunization push alongside active public involvement.
“What Kano needs to do is mass vaccination,” Abbas noted, appealing for stronger community collaboration to assist health teams with contact tracing and early detection. He highlighted the critical role of grassroots reporting, sharing that field teams conducting active door-to-door searches in rural villages continue to uncover previously unrecorded cases.
Health officials urge residents across all local communities to report suspected symptoms immediately, stressing that prompt detection and treatment remain vital to curbing further fatalities.
