The Kano State House of Assembly has urged Governor Abba Yusuf to urgently intervene in a diphtheria outbreak that has reportedly killed more than 50 children in Rano Local Government Area.
The House made the call on Monday following a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Rano Constituency, Ibrahim Muhammad, during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Ismail Falgore.
Moving the motion, Mr Muhammad said the outbreak had become severe in Ridin and Sabuwar Kaura communities, where more than 50 children had reportedly died from the disease.
He said although the government had taken emergency measures, including procuring medication and deploying health workers to affected communities, additional intervention was needed to contain the outbreak.
“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 urged the governor and the Commissioner for Health to provide additional emergency support to the affected communities.
He also expressed concern that the outbreak had resurfaced after a similar incident claimed several lives 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 disease had spread from Rano to communities in Kiru Local Government Area, including Kwarin Dangora, Dangora town and Yelwa.
Mr Tasiu disclosed that an APC youth leader in Kiru town lost two children to the disease within one day.
He called for the establishment of an emergency committee to coordinate efforts to contain the outbreak in Rano, Tudun Wada, Kibiya, Bunkure, Bebeji and Kiru local government areas.
Another lawmaker, Saleh Ahmad, representing Dawakin Tofa Constituency, urged the government to intensify vaccination and other preventive measures.
Mr Ahmad warned that diphtheria was contagious and could spread rapidly to neighbouring communities if urgent measures were not taken.
The Majority Leader of the House, Lawan Husseini, also called on the state government to invoke the provisions of the state’s Health Protection Law to contain the outbreak.
According to him, the law empowers the government to provide emergency relief and free healthcare, as well as isolate affected communities and restrict movement in areas affected by infectious diseases.
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.
