81 Students Affected in Kaduna Diarrhoea Outbreak, Health Authorities Respond

A diarrhoea outbreak at a girls’ secondary school in Kawo, Kaduna State affected 81 students—15 of whom were hospitalised and later discharged—prompting health authorities to investigate the cause and implement preventive measures including improved surveillance, hygiene training, and emergency response readiness.

The Kaduna State Ministry of Health has confirmed a diarrhoea outbreak at the Government Girls Senior and Junior Secondary School in Kawo, where 81 students were affected, and 15 required hospitalisation.

According to the State Epidemiologist, Dr. Jeremiah Diako, the affected students, all girls aged between 16 and 17, began showing symptoms earlier in the week. School officials immediately alerted health authorities, and the students were promptly referred to the General Hospital in Kawo for medical attention.

“All hospitalised students have now been discharged after receiving appropriate care, and there have been no reported fatalities,” Dr. Diako said, assuring parents and the public that the situation was under control.

Health authorities believe the outbreak may have been linked to contaminated water sources or improper food handling, although investigations are still ongoing. Samples of food, water, and stool have been collected for laboratory analysis.

In the wake of the incident, the Ministry of Health has launched a series of preventive measures designed to curb future outbreaks and reinforce public health safety, particularly in school environments. These measures include:

• Strengthening disease surveillance and reporting systems to detect potential outbreaks early
• Establishing clear monitoring protocols within schools for sanitation, food hygiene, and student health
• Standardising the referral process for suspected cases to ensure timely medical intervention
• Enhancing training and awareness on food safety and waste disposal among school staff and food vendors
• Improving readiness for outbreak response at the local government level, including emergency health response coordination

Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Bello, emphasized that the Ministry is working closely with the Ministry of Education, school administrators, and local government councils to ensure safer learning environments. “We must take this incident as a wake-up call to invest more in preventive health infrastructure within our schools,” she stated.

Parents and guardians have been urged to remain calm and cooperate with health officials as monitoring continues. Meanwhile, the affected school has resumed classes under close supervision by public health officials, and hygiene sensitization workshops are being held for students and staff.

Health officials reiterated the urgency of implementing these actions to safeguard the well-being of students across the state, stressing that early detection and prevention remain critical in managing outbreaks of communicable diseases like diarrhoea.

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SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, GRAZETTE