KANO, Nigeria — A grieving father in Kano State has recounted the heartbreaking loss of four young daughters to diphtheria within just two weeks, underscoring the severity of Nigeria’s ongoing outbreak.
Malam Yusuf Maitama, who lives in Hotoron Yan Dodo, Nassarawa Local Government Area, told journalists on Tuesday that the tragedy began when his youngest child developed fever and sore throat before dying within a day.
Days later, his seven-year-old daughter presented the same symptoms. Doctors confirmed it was diphtheria, but she too died rapidly.
The sorrow deepened when his third daughter, admitted to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, was discharged due to lack of bed space.
She died at home that same night. Soon after, a fourth daughter also succumbed. Only his eldest child survived after urgent treatment.
“They were healthy, full of life, then suddenly gone,” Maitama said, pointing at four freshly dug graves near his family home.
Health workers have since fumigated the compound and vaccinated children in the neighbourhood to curb further spread.
Kano remains the epicentre of Nigeria’s diphtheria crisis, with over 10,000 cases and nearly 1,000 deaths recorded since 2023.
According to Kano State Ministry of Health spokesperson Nablusi Abubakar Kofar Naisa, most victims were unvaccinated. “Immunisation is free, yet many parents don’t take advantage,” he said.
Public health experts warn that Nigeria’s diphtheria battle highlights low immunisation coverage and fragile health systems. For Maitama, however, the statistics mean little — only devastating personal loss.
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