No fewer than 17,000 17,000 Kano children have been diagnosed with pneumonia in Kano State, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, has disclosed.
The figure was contained in a statement by the Public Relations Officer of the state Ministry of Health, Nabilusi Abubakar K/Na’isa, a copy of which was made available to The PUNCH on Friday.
According to the statement, the commissioner disclosed this during the commemoration of World Pneumonia Day and World Diabetes Day in Kano.
“More than 17,000 children have been diagnosed with pneumonia in Kano State,” Yusuf was quoted as saying.
The statement said the event was organised to raise awareness about childhood pneumonia, promote prevention, early detection and appropriate treatment, and strengthen efforts to reduce pneumonia-related deaths among children.
Yusuf also said more than 300,000 children had been affected by pneumonia across Nigeria this year.
“More than 300,000 children have been affected by pneumonia across Nigeria this year,” he added.
He warned that the disease could be life-threatening, particularly among young children, adding that malnutrition increased the risk and severity of the infection.
The commissioner said the state had trained healthcare workers in specialised approaches to managing childhood illnesses to improve the quality of care provided to children.
On diabetes, Yusuf described the condition as a serious health challenge that required proper management to prevent complications.
He said more than 500 million people worldwide were living with diabetes, while an estimated 7.5 per cent of Kano residents were also affected.
“More than 500 million people worldwide are living with diabetes, while an estimated 7.5 per cent of the Kano State residents are also affected by the disease,” Yusuf said.
The commissioner added that the Kano State Government had intensified efforts to support people living with diabetes through improved healthcare services and the provision of medical equipment.
He further disclosed that more than 1,000 health facilities across the state had benefited from the distribution of medical equipment to strengthen diabetes screening and management.
Yusuf assured residents that the ministry would continue to intensify public awareness campaigns on the prevention, early detection and proper management of both diseases.
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