By Mukhtar Yahya Usman

The small compound of the Maitama family in Hotoron Yan Dodo, Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano State, once echoed with the laughter of children.

‎ Today, silence hangs heavy in the air, broken only by the muffled sobs of a father who has buried four of his daughters in less than two weeks.

‎For Malam Yusuf Maitama, life has changed forever. “I buried them one after another. Four of my daughters in two weeks,” he says, his voice trembling as he recounts the tragedy. “No father should ever go through this.”

A disease few to recognized

‎It started innocently enough. His youngest child, a lively girl under five, woke up with fever and sore throat. A whitish membrane appeared in her throat — a warning sign of diphtheria, though the family didn’t recognize it at the time.

‎“She became weak very quickly,” Yusuf recalls. “We rushed her to the hospital, but she didn’t survive that same day.”

‎Just days later, tragedy struck again. His seven-year-old daughter developed similar symptoms. This time, the family hurried to seek medical care, but it was too late. She died within two days.

‎“At that point, neighbors began saying maybe it was spiritual. But the doctors told me clearly — it was diphtheria,” he says, his eyes glistening with tears.

‎Wthen hospital beds aren’t enough

Soon after, his third daughter fell ill. She was admitted to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, where doctors warned that one of her kidneys was failing. Yet with no beds available, the family was forced to take her home temporarily.

‎“She died that very night,” Yusuf says, his voice heavy with regret.

‎Just days later, his fourth daughter also died, making the tally four funerals in less than 14 days. Only his eldest child survived, after receiving urgent medical treatment.

A community in fear

‎The Maitama tragedy has rippled across Hotoron Yan Dodo. Parents now live in fear, clutching their children tighter. Health workers have since moved in, fumigating the family house and vaccinating children in the neighborhood.

“This is a wake-up call for everyone,” says  a community health volunteer. “When a disease wipes out almost a whole family, the entire community must pay attention.”

Diphtheria’s grip on Kano

The deaths come amid Kano’s ongoing battle with diphtheria, one of the deadliest vaccine-preventable diseases.

Since 2023, the state has recorded over 10,000 cases and nearly 1,000 deaths.

Health experts warn that low vaccination rates, delays in hospital visits, and poor health infrastructure are fueling the crisis.

‎A July 2025 study by the National Library of Medicine revealed that unvaccinated children face over double the risk of death compared to vaccinated ones. Even children with no vaccination records were found to have an 87% higher risk of death.

Government response

‎According to Kano State Ministry of Health spokesperson, Nablusi Abubakar Kofar Naisa, the majority of children who die from diphtheria are unvaccinated.

“If you hear of a death, it’s likely the child was not vaccinated. That’s the main issue. Immunization is free, yet many parents don’t take advantage of it,” he said.

‎The state government has since designated a special hospital for diphtheria cases, directed all hospitals to provide free treatment, and intensified vaccination campaigns.

A father’s unshakable loss

For Malam Yusuf, however, government statistics are far removed from his reality. His once lively home now feels hollow.

He remembers their laughter, the way they ran around the compound, the way the youngest always clung to his side. Now, he only has one daughter left.

“They were healthy. They were full of life. Then suddenly, they were gone,” he says, his voice breaking. “I still can’t believe it.”

The four small graves in Hotoron Yan Dodo stand as a stark reminder: diphtheria is not a forgotten disease. It is here, it is deadly, and it is preventable.

‎Until parents embrace immunization and health systems are strengthened, tragedies like that of the Maitama family may continue to haunt Kano.