A suspected outbreak of diphtheria has claimed the lives of at least three children and left six others infected in Zaria, Kaduna State.
The Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Primary Healthcare Board, Dr Bello Jamoh confirmed that the outbreak has been ongoing in the state for the past ten months, dating back to October 2024.
He stated that the Kaduna State Ministry of Health is spearheading the response, working closely with relevant partners and stakeholders to contain the spread.
Jamoh also revealed that a team of medical experts will be deployed to the affected areas to reinforce containment efforts and provide necessary healthcare support.
Meanwhile, Bashir-Magaji Basharata, a resident of Kwarbai in Zaria who lost his daughter to the illness, described how quickly the disease appears to be spreading.
He recounted that his daughter developed a swollen neck and experienced difficulty breathing and speaking before she was rushed to Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Shika.
Despite receiving urgent medical care, Basharata said his daughter passed away. Not long after, three other children in the neighborhood developed similar symptoms.
“I immediately contacted the local council health department, and they responded by dispatching a team of vaccinators to the area,” he said.
Basharata added that two children from a neighboring household and another girl from a nearby street also showed signs of the disease.
According to him, four children with diphtheria-like symptoms were later admitted to the Kakaki Primary Health Care Clinic near Kwarbai. As of his most recent visit, only one had been discharged.
He raised concerns over the unavailability of diphtheria vaccines across Kaduna State, stating that the visiting medical team reportedly sourced vaccines from neighboring Niger Republic.
