A severe measles outbreak has hit Unguwar Kanawa in Tankarau, Dutsen Abba, within Zaria Local Government Area of Kaduna State, resulting in the deaths of at least five children and leaving many others seriously ill.
The tragic situation has been linked to widespread vaccine hesitancy fueled by misinformation and misconceptions about immunization in the community.
The Village Head, Nasiru Yunusa, confirmed the deaths, noting that two children from the same family passed away just a week ago. He attributed the outbreak to the community’s earlier resistance to vaccination efforts.
“About two-thirds of our people refused to vaccinate their children due to false beliefs. But with the illness and deaths we’re now seeing, many are beginning to change their minds,” Yunusa said.
He added that several other children are currently suffering from measles, with most of them coming from households that had previously rejected immunization.
Yunusa also highlighted the absence of a local healthcare facility as a major concern, revealing that the closest Primary Health Centre is seven kilometers away. “Women now give birth at home because there’s no clinic nearby. We are pleading with the government to provide us with a health centre,” he appealed.
A resident and housewife, Saude Safiyanu, shared her heartbreaking story, revealing that she lost four of her six children to preventable illnesses due to lack of vaccination.
“My husband didn’t allow us to vaccinate our children, and I lost four after the first child. But when I finally convinced him to let me immunize our last daughter, she’s been very healthy,” Saude said.
She explained that opposition to vaccination was once common among men in the community, but recent tragedies have started to shift those views. “Now, many men are beginning to understand the importance of vaccines after seeing so many children fall ill or die,” she added, urging women to take action and protect their children through immunization.