The member representing Rano constituency in the Kano state House of Assembly, Ibrahim Muhammad, Thursday, said no fewer than 50 children have died as a result of an outbreak of diphtheria in Rano local government area.

He disclosed that the disease is spreading fast to other communities.

The law maker stated this while moving a motion of urgent public importance during plenary.

Muhammad identified Ridin and Sabuwar Kaura communities as the worst-hit areas, saying urgent intervention was required to contain the outbreak and prevent further deaths.

He told the House that some emergency measures had already been taken, including the procurement of drugs and deployment of health workers to the affected communities, but said the scale of the outbreak requires immediate government intervention.

“We want to inform the governor and demand that the Commissioner for Health should send further emergency aid to the region because the disease has spread in that area,” he stated.

However, the Kano state Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC) said it has officially recorded only two deaths in Rano

local government area as a result of outbreak of diphtheria.

The director-general, Prof. Muhammad Adamu-Abbas, stated this while addressing newsmen in Kano to clear the air on the claim that 50 children reportedly died as a result of diphtheria in the area.

He further said that its official record, based on daily reports from its representatives in Rano local Government Disease Surveillance and the Notification Officer and assistant, showed only two deaths.

He said the other cases were not officially reported. He added that the centre would conduct a verbal autopsy to unravel circumstances surrounding the deaths.

“The member representing Rano local government presented cases of over 50 children who died in Rano,” he stated.