The Kano State House of Assembly has called on Governor Abba Yusuf to take urgent action over a diphtheria outbreak reportedly responsible for the deaths of more than 50 children in Rano Local Government Area.
The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved on Monday by the lawmaker representing Rano Constituency, Ibrahim Muhammad, during plenary presided over by Speaker Ismail Falgore.
Muhammad said the outbreak was particularly severe in Ridin and Sabuwar Kaura communities, where more than 50 children had reportedly died.
He noted that although authorities had already taken emergency steps, including procuring medication and deploying health workers, additional measures were required to control the disease.
“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.
The lawmaker appealed to Governor Yusuf and the state Commissioner for Health to provide additional emergency assistance to the affected communities.
He expressed concern that the outbreak had resurfaced after a similar incident killed several residents in the area last year.
“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.
Supporting the motion, the member representing Kiru Constituency, Usman Abubakar Tasiu, said the outbreak had extended beyond Rano into communities in Kiru, including Kwarin Dangora, Dangora town and Yelwa.
Tasiu disclosed that an APC youth leader in Kiru lost two children to the disease within a single day.
He called for an emergency committee to coordinate efforts to contain the outbreak across affected local government areas, including Rano, Tudun Wada, Kibiya, Bunkure, Bebeji and Kiru.
Another lawmaker, Saleh Ahmad of Dawakin Tofa Constituency, called for intensified vaccination and other preventive measures, warning that diphtheria is contagious and could quickly spread to neighbouring communities.
Majority Leader Lawan Husseini also urged the government to activate the state’s Health Protection Law to address the outbreak.
According to him, the legislation empowers the government to provide emergency assistance and free medical care, as well as impose isolation and movement restrictions in communities affected by infectious diseases.
The House subsequently adopted the motion and directed its Committee on Health to liaise with the Ministry of Health on enforcing the law and providing emergency relief to the affected communities.
