The Kano State Government has constituted a Special Committee on Diphtheria Outbreak Response to strengthen efforts to contain reported cases and deaths from the disease in some Local Government Areas of the state, particularly Rano.
The committee is expected to coordinate ongoing response activities, conduct a comprehensive assessment of the outbreak and take immediate measures to prevent further spread to neighbouring Local Government Areas.
In a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Ministry of Health, Nabilusi Abubakar Kofar Na’isa, the government said the committee is chaired by the Director-General of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), Prof. Muhammad Adamu Abbas.
The Director-General of the State Primary Healthcare Management Board (SPHCMB), Prof. Salisu A. Ibrahim, is a member of the committee.
Other members include the Executive Secretary of the Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Mansur M. Nagoda; Director of Disease Control, SPHCMB, Dr. Tijjani Habibu; Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Dr. Ibrahim Aliyu Umar; and State Epidemiologist, KNCDC, Sulaiman Iliyasu Hamisu.
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Representatives of the Kano, Rano, Karaye and Gaya Emirate Councils are also members, while Hussaini Rufai of Monitoring and Evaluation, KNCDC, serves as Secretary.
The committee has been mandated to conduct a comprehensive investigation to verify reported diphtheria cases and deaths across affected LGAs, strengthen disease surveillance systems and ensure daily reporting by Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers across the state.
It will also establish a centralised data registry to effectively track suspected and confirmed cases, identify immunisation gaps through intensified community mobilisation and sensitisation, and ensure the availability and timely distribution of essential medical commodities to designated treatment centres.
In addition, the committee will work closely with health personnel in affected LGAs to ensure a coordinated response, rapid information sharing, early detection of cases and effective management of the outbreak.
The state government urged residents, community leaders and other stakeholders to cooperate with health authorities by promptly reporting suspected cases and supporting ongoing public health interventions.
The government reassured residents of its commitment to protecting their health and wellbeing, stressing that it would continue to take all necessary measures to contain the outbreak and prevent its spread across the state.
