The Kano State government has introduced a register at cemeteries across the state for the daily record of the data of deceased persons as a measure to secure reliable information to support its healthcare system.
According to the state commissioner for health, Dr Labaran Yusuf, the move is aimed at combating the spread of fake news and misinformation about deaths recorded from outbreaks of diseases in the state.
Dr Yusuf announced this at the African Vaccination Week in the Kura local government area, specifically citing the recent case of Gun-Dutse village in Kura LGA, where 40 people were reported dead instead of six.
He emphasised that fake news in the health sector is causing problems for his ministry, hence the introduction of the death register in hospitals and cemeteries to check the menace.
Dr Yusuf also lamented that the infant mortality rate is still high and challenging in the state, with many victims being malnourished. This necessitates government support for parents with nutritional value mechanisms and routine immunisation to address the situation.
The Commissioner disclosed that the previous administration neglected the vaccination system in the state, leaving many children unvaccinated and contributing to the rise of diphtheria cases.
“We are taking outbreak responses very seriously as the state is also experiencing measles outbreaks every year due to parents’ neglect of vaccines for their wards,” he added.
To bridge the gap, the commissioner stated that the state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, will soon inaugurate a vaccination task force led by the state deputy governor, Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, to ensure effective routine immunisation in the state.
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