How I lost 2 grandchildren to diphtheria in 1wk – Grandma

A grandmother in Jos, Plateau State's capital, Fatimatu Abdullahi, recounted how diphtheria claimed the lives of her two grandchildren within one week. The victims, 14-year-old Umar Muktar and 17-year-old Hauwa Shafi'u, lived with their grandmother before their deaths. The grandmother expressed that it was initially difficult to recognize the symptoms of diphtheria in the two victims.

The first to succumb was Umar, who passed away within three to four days after falling ill. Hauwa, who developed similar symptoms two days later, was taken to Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) where she was diagnosed with diphtheria, but it was too late to save her. The grandmother noted that the rapid deterioration of the victims' conditions made it hard to save them.

The father of Hauwa, Shafi'u Abdullahi, described his daughter as brilliant and obedient, stressing the significant loss to the family. The family and authorities have since been vaccinated against diphtheria, and health workers at the affected Federal Teaching Hospital Katsina have been overwhelmed by the increasing number of patients.

However, concerns have arisen over the availability of vaccines as the hospital has yet to receive the doses announced by the Federal Government for Katsina and Kano states.