By Asma’u Ahmad
Six children under the age of five had died in an outbreak of whopping cough and measles in Sule-Tankarkar local government area of Jigawa state, an official said.
The Head of Department for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) at the council, Malam Mohammed Maisamari, confirmed the outbreak of the diseases to newsmen.
He said the outbreak of the two diseases affected mostly children within the age of five in six communities, saying Maizare village was the worst hit with six deaths recorded.
According to him, the council got the report of the outbreak of the diseases on March 1, and effort had been put in place to check the spread of the diseases.
He added that the council had mobilised a team of health workers to the affected villages for treatment of all children diagnosed to have contracted either of the diseases.
Maisamari also disclosed that 249 children infected in the area had been treated of the disease.
He further explained that 139 children had been cured in Maizare, 24 in Lula, 26 in Dadin Duniya, 10 in Malam Kadir and 25 children from Fulanin Danladi villages.
However, the official said that the council had intensified health education campaign to further enlighten rural dwellers on the need to embrace routine immunisation.
