Outbreak of Diphtheria has reportedly killed about 50 people in Rano local government area of Kano state and several other hospitalize.

However the tragic incident has compelled lawmakers from Kano state house of Assembly demanding immediate action to mitigate the health burden.

In a motion of urgent public importance, moved at the plenary on Tuesday, the lawmaker representing Rano Constituency, Ibrahim Muhammad, raised concern on the health challenge demanding urgent intervention of the executive.

Speaking on the floor of the house during a session prided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon Jibril Ismail Falgore the lawmake said the outbreak was particularly severe in Ridin and Sabuwar Qaura communities, where the victims majority of them children lost their lives.

He said although emergency measures, including the provision of medication and deployment of health workers, had been initiated, additional support was urgently required to contain the disease.

The lawmaker appealed to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the Commissioner for Health to provide further emergency assistance to the affected communities.

Supporting the motion, the member representing Kiru Constituency, Usman Abubakar Tasiu, said the outbreak had spread to communities in Kiru, including Kwarin Dangora, Dangora town and Yelwa.

Tasiu called for the establishment of an emergency committee to coordinate efforts to contain the outbreak in Rano, Tudun Wada, Kibiya, Bunkure, Bebeji and Kiru Local Government Areas.

Another lawmaker, representing Dawakin Tofa Constituency, Saleh Ahmad, urged the government to intensify vaccination and other preventive measures, warning that diphtheria is highly contagious and could spread rapidly to neighbouring communities.

The Majority Leader of the House, Lawan Husseini, called on the government to invoke the state’s Health Protection Law to contain the outbreak.

He said the law empowers the government to provide emergency relief and free healthcare, as well as restrict movement and isolate affected areas where necessary during outbreaks of infectious diseases.

The House subsequently adopted the motion and directed its Committee on Health to engage with the Ministry of Health on the implementation of the law and the provision of emergency relief to affected communities.