The recent deaths in Kano State, which some people described as ‘mysterious,’ should be urgently investigated to unravel the cause. It has been estimated that hundreds of people have died in Kano as a result of the strange illness. However, the state government has insisted that the illness claimed only 17 lives. Although the cause of the deaths has not been established, some medical experts have attributed the development to high blood pressure, malaria, ulcer and even hunger. They also explained that the dearth of doctors in hospitals across the state may have worsened the situation.
The State Executive Secretary of Primary Healthcare Board, Dr. Tijjani Hussaini, confirmed that medical doctors were yet to ascertain the cause of the mysterious deaths, but acknowledged that the situation had made residents to panic.
The strange ailment has mostly affected Zage, Kano Municipal, Tarauni, Gwale, Kurna, Dala, Chiromawa, Zango, Kofar Mata, Fagge, Kumbotso, and some local government areas outside the metropolis, such as Bichi, Kunchi, Wudil, Gwarzo and Shanono.
The development coming at a time when Kano is among the states with increasing cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infections, gives cause for worry. The state recorded its index case of the pandemic last week, prompting the government to impose a lockdown. So far, Kano has recorded about 77 cases of COVID-19. Therefore, every effort must be made to investigate the deaths and ensure that the mystery behind the phenomenon is unraveled.
It is commendable that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has sent its officials to Kano to ascertain the cause of the deaths. Besides the COVID-19 pandemic, there are other ailments that are killing Nigerians in thousands. They include malaria, Lassa fever, common colds, hypertension and flu. Malaria accounted for 81,640 deaths in the country in 2017.
Hunger and poverty are also common causes of death among the poor. Many Nigerians cannot feed their families because of the lockdown in some states. The palliatives distributed by the federal and state governments cannot be said to be enough.
We believe that a thorough investigation of the Kano deaths is the first step in handling the situation. It is also good that the Kano State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Aminu Tsanyawa, has given assurance that the state will thoroughly investigate the incident.
The situation at hand does not give room for guess work. There is need for cooperation between Kano State and the NCDC officials. Identifying the cause of the deaths will immensely assist to contain its spread. The world is reeling under the heavy impact of the coronavirus today because of failure of China to nip it in the bud when it broke out in 2019.
The challenge posed by the situation in Kano calls for more attention to our health sector. Unfortunately, the health sector has not been adequately funded. The budgetary allocations to health are nothing to write home about. With dearth of basic tools and ill-motivated workforce, Nigeria’s health sector has remained in a sorry state. The coronavirus pandemic has given us an opportunity to revamp the health sector. We suggest that the annual allocation to the sector should be increased as a first step in arresting the situation.
The recent call by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) on the Presidency and the National Assembly to reverse the proposed cut of N26.51 in basic health care from the 2020 budget is laudable. The organisation has expressed concern over the proposed reduction in the basic health care and education. It also warned that the cut would adversely affect the health of many Nigerians, especially the poor.
We cannot agree less with SERAP. Rather than reduction in the healthcare budget, the government should increase the allocation to the sector. We also call for prudent management of the resources allocated to the sector and ensure that they are judiciously utilised.