Six people, mostly children, have died and 12 others have been hospitalised due to a diphtheria disease outbreak in Kafanchan, Jema’a Local Government Area, Kaduna State. The disease affected Takau, Kafanchan A, and Kafanchan B wards.
The disease began two weeks ago, causing symptoms like difficulty breathing, a high fever, cough, body weakness, a sore throat, and neck swelling. The index case, a four-year-old boy, died after 48 hours, while five out of 17 new cases died within Jema’a LGA.
Twelve others are currently hospitalised. Governor Uba Sani has ordered the State Ministry of Health to send an emergency team to investigate and transfer affected cases to well-equipped hospitals for proper management, contact tracing, and community sensitization in affected areas.
The Kaduna State Ministry of Health advises residents to prevent the spread of the disease by regularly washing hands with soap and water, avoiding close contact with sick individuals, and covering mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing. Preventive measures include staying home if sick, staying active, and reporting suspected diphtheria cases.
The governor praised health officials for their prompt response to the health emergency, urging diligent task completion to contain and eradicate the disease.
