The deaths, which occurred within 48 hours, have raised fears of another public health crisis in the area. A community leader and Director with the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Abdulazeez Suleiman, confirmed the incident and called for urgent action.
He said the children developed symptoms such as sore throat, fever, swollen lymph nodes, and weakness before they passed away. Suleiman described the situation as a wake-up call, stressing the need for stronger public health measures.
“This outbreak reminds us how weak our health system still is,” Suleiman said. “We faced a similar crisis just months ago in the same community, which killed four people before help came from the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.”
Suleiman blamed the recurring outbreaks on poor vaccination coverage, lack of health awareness, and limited access to healthcare in rural areas. He urged parents to cooperate with health workers and ensure their children are vaccinated.
He also called on the government and international partners to act fast by sending medical teams to the community, providing vaccines, and raising awareness about diphtheria symptoms and prevention.
“We need to train more health workers, improve our clinics, and monitor disease outbreaks early so that we don’t lose more lives,” he added.
Diphtheria is a serious bacterial infection that spreads through coughing and sneezing. It can be prevented through routine childhood vaccination. The Kaduna State Government is yet to issue an official statement on the latest outbreak.