Kano reports over 17,000 childhood pneumonia cases

Kano State has recorded more than 17,000 cases of pneumonia among children, raising concerns about the growing impact of the disease on child health across the state.

The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, disclosed this on Thursday during events marking World Pneumonia Day and World Diabetes Day in Kano.

The disclosure was contained in a statement signed by the Ministry of Health’s Public Relations Officer, Nabilusi Abubakar K/Na’isa, and made available to journalists.

Dr Yusuf said, “More than 300,000 children had been affected by pneumonia across Nigeria this year, warning that the disease could become life-threatening, especially among young children.”

He identified malnutrition as one of the major factors that expose children to pneumonia and can make the infection more severe.

The commissioner said,” The Kano State Government had trained healthcare workers in specialised methods of managing childhood illnesses as part of efforts to improve treatment and reduce deaths caused by pneumonia.”

On diabetes care, he said the government had stepped up efforts to improve services through the provision of medical equipment and other interventions.

According to him, more than 1,000 health facilities across the state had received medical equipment to improve diabetes screening, diagnosis and treatment.

Dr Yusuf assured residents that the ministry would continue public awareness campaigns to educate people on how to prevent, detect and manage pneumonia and diabetes.

He urged residents to make use of available healthcare services and seek medical attention early to avoid complications and preventable deaths.