Nigeria, July 26 -- It all started with a swollen neck and difficulty breathing, the first signs that something was seriously wrong. For Bashir Abubakar-Magaji, it was the beginning of a desperate attempt to save Aisha Bashir, his 11-year-old daughter.

Due to the severity of Aisha's symptoms, Mr Abubakar-Magaji rushed her to Mustapha Bawa Clinic, where he works, in the Kwarbai area of Zaria in Kaduna State.

She was later taken to the Shehu Iyal Primary Health Care Centre, where test results confirmed diphtheria. She was immediately referred to the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Shika, Zaria, but Aisha died there on 2 July while receiving treatment.

After Aisha's death, other children in the neighbourhood, including Mr Abuba...