The Kano State House of Assembly has sounded the alarm over a deadly diphtheria outbreak that has reportedly claimed the lives of more than 50 children in Rano Local Government Area, prompting lawmakers to call for immediate intervention by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.

The appeal came during Tuesday’s plenary session after the Assembly unanimously adopted a motion of urgent public importance presented by Ibrahim Muhammad, the lawmaker representing Rano Constituency.

Raising concern over the worsening health crisis, Muhammad told the Assembly that the outbreak had hit communities in Ridin and Sabuwar Kaura particularly hard, leaving dozens of families grieving the loss of their children.

According to him, although health authorities have already taken some emergency measures—including the procurement of medications and the deployment of medical personnel to affected areas—the scale of the outbreak requires stronger and more coordinated government action.

He stressed that additional resources and emergency support must be sent to the affected communities to prevent further loss of life.

“The disease has spread significantly in the area, and more intervention is needed to contain the situation,” he told fellow lawmakers, while recalling that a similar diphtheria outbreak in 2025 also resulted in multiple fatalities in the locality.

The debate took a more troubling turn when Usman Tasiu, representing Kiru Constituency, revealed that the outbreak was no longer confined to Rano. He said several communities in Kiru Local Government Area, including Kwarin Dangora, Dangora town and Yelwa, had also recorded cases.

Tasiu recounted a heartbreaking incident involving a local youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who reportedly lost two children to the disease within a single day.

Describing the outbreak as a growing public health emergency, he called for the immediate establishment of a special emergency response committee to coordinate containment efforts across affected areas.

He noted that local government areas such as Rano, Tudun Wada, Kibiya, Bunkure, Bebeji and Kiru now require a unified response to prevent the disease from spreading further.

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Adding his voice to the discussion, Saleh Ahmad, who represents Dawakin Tofa Constituency, urged the state government to intensify vaccination campaigns and strengthen preventive measures across vulnerable communities.

He warned that diphtheria is highly contagious and could quickly spread to neighbouring areas if urgent action is not taken.

Also contributing to the debate, the Majority Leader of the Assembly, Lawan Husseini, called on the Kano State Government to invoke existing public health protection laws to combat the outbreak.

According to him, the legislation empowers authorities to provide emergency healthcare services, deliver relief materials to affected communities, and implement containment measures, including isolation of infected areas and movement restrictions where necessary.

The outbreak has raised fresh concerns among residents and health stakeholders, particularly as Kano continues to battle recurring outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.

Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium species. It primarily affects the throat and nose but can also infect the skin. Symptoms often include fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose, swollen neck glands, red eyes and difficulty breathing. If not treated promptly, the disease can lead to severe complications and death.

Following deliberations, lawmakers unanimously adopted the motion after Speaker Ismail Falgore put it to a voice vote, effectively calling on the state government to step up emergency interventions and prevent the outbreak from claiming more lives.

As anxiety grows across affected communities, attention is now focused on the Kano State Government and health authorities, with many residents hoping that swift action will halt the spread of the disease and prevent further tragedy.