The Sokoto State Government has confirmed the death of 33 children following a fresh outbreak of cerebrospinal meningitis in parts of the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Faruk Abubakar, disclosed this during an advocacy meeting with district heads organised by the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency in partnership with Sightsavers and the Chigari Foundation.
According to the commissioner, the state has recorded at least 256 suspected cases across eight local government areas since the outbreak resurfaced about a month ago.
He said Sabon Birni recorded the highest number of infections with 63 cases, followed by Wamakko with 60, Shagari with 51, Tambuwal with 33, and Dange Shuni with 26 cases. Kebbe reported 16 cases, while Bodinga, Gada and Kware recorded two, one and two cases respectively.
Abubakar explained that many of the deaths occurred before patients could reach medical facilities, blaming delays in seeking treatment and misconceptions that the illness has spiritual causes rather than being a medical emergency.
Health experts say symptoms of meningitis include high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, vomiting, confusion, sensitivity to light and convulsions. They warned that the disease can lead to death within hours if left untreated and may also cause complications such as hearing loss, paralysis and brain damage.
In response to the outbreak, the state government, in collaboration with Médecins Sans Frontières, has established isolation centres at the General Hospitals in Dogo Daji and Tambuwal.
The commissioner added that patients brought to hospitals early have responded positively to treatment, noting that no recent deaths have been recorded since health interventions were intensified.
Authorities have urged residents to seek immediate medical attention whenever symptoms appear and disregard misinformation surrounding the disease as efforts continue to contain the outbreak.
