Meningitis Kills 65 In Jigawa

JIGAWA

In Jigawa state, about 65 people have died due to the outbreak of meningitis in 18 out of the 27 Local Government Areas in the state. 

Some towns in Babura, Gumel, Maigatari  and Sule DankarkarLocal Government Areas,were the most affected. 

A public  enlightenment officer on health in Babura Local Government Area ,Ya’u Dauda said that ” there  are many places like Gidan Maja where we visited yesterday together with staff of Save the Children ,there we got report of the instant death of about 8 people.”

A total of 257 people in the state have so far, been infected with the disease. 

The Mai Garin Digudun who spoke through his assistant, Malam Al Kasim, said over 50 people were infected with the disease in his domain and many have died.

” If a child is infected with the disease in the morning, before evening time the child is gone.Another child infected in the evening, before the morning time the child is dead.We have about 17 children in this town who died.Their ages ranged between 10,18 and even 20 years old,”  he said.

The Bulama of Mai lebe in Gumel Emirate,Malam Yusuf Ahmed said 21 people died in his area.

Similarity, Mai Garin Kanyan Arewa ,Akilu Dauda of Babura Local Government  said the disease has claimed 19 lives in the village. 

While narrating her ordeal, a woman told journalists that two of her children were infected, one died on the way to the hospital while the other child was currently on admission. 

A health official in Jigawa state, Malam Samaila Mahmud, said report reaching them indicated there were 65 deaths and a total of 257 cases in the state. 

Jigawa state was hit by meningitis in the previous years and experts said the outbreak was as a result of congestion and poor sanitation among the people.