Meningitis k!lls 33 children in Sokoto

The Sokoto State Government has confirmed the deaths of 33 children following an outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis in parts of the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Faruk Abubakar, disclosed the figures on Wednesday, May 6, during an advocacy meeting with district heads focused on the Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin in Children and Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination programmes.

According to the commissioner, 256 suspected cases have been recorded across eight local government areas since the outbreak resurfaced about a month ago. Residents of Kurawa in Sabon Birni had earlier raised concerns over the spread of the illness, which they said was mostly affecting children and teenagers.

Sources at the village health facility said the situation had worsened, with between two and three deaths reportedly occurring daily, mostly among people aged between two and 20 years. Residents described symptoms including unconsciousness, severe neck pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, high fever and, in some cases, foaming from the mouth, all of which are associated with meningitis.

Dr Abubakar said Sabon Birni recorded the highest number of suspected cases with 63, followed by Wamakko with 60, Shagari with 51, Tambuwal with 33 and Dange Shuni with 26 cases. Kebbe recorded 16 cases, while Bodinga, Gada and Kware reported two, one and two cases respectively.

The commissioner said many of the deaths occurred before patients reached hospitals, blaming delayed medical treatment and misconceptions that the disease had spiritual causes rather than being a medical emergency.

To tackle the outbreak, the state government and Médecins Sans Frontières, also known as Doctors Without Borders, established isolation centres at general hospitals in Dogo Daji and Tambuwal. Separate wards were created for male and female patients.

Dr Abubakar added that although only around 20 samples had tested positive for meningitis so far, patients brought to health facilities early had responded well to treatment, with no recent deaths recorded since intensified intervention efforts began.