1 week ago
19
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
Against the rising cases of polio in Kano State, Governor Abba Yusuf, has expressed the determination of his administration to eradicate polio and crash maternal mortality by June.
There has been rising cases of polio since 2022 in Kano State. However, Governor Yusuf said the challenge of tackling the two health issues was a task the government would pursue to its logical conclusion.
He stated this while declaring open an orientation training organised by the state Ministry of Health for its health personnel, 44 local government chairmen and Kano Emirate held in Kaduna.
Represented by his deputy, Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, he said the presence of government officials, members of the state House of Assembly and Kano Emirate, underscored the seriousness “we have in eradicating polio as well as tackling the menace of maternal mortality.”
The deputy governor, who is the chairman of the state immunisation committee, called on the health personnel and the local government officials, as well as the traditional rulers to monitor the immunisation exercise in their domains with all the seriousness it deserves.
He challenged the health workers to be ready to work and dedicate their time to ensuring that eradicating polio and reducing maternal mortality was a task that must be accomplished. “Any health worker who is not committed will be replaced without delay with a more serious and committed staff.”
He restated that the state government under the leadership of Abba Yusuf was determined to make the state free of polio by June 2025. “And we will join the campaign in making it free at the end of the year,” he added.
Earlier, the United Nations Children Funds (UNICEF) Kano State representative, Mr. Rahma Rahood Muhammad, said there had been a steady increase in the number of polio cases in the state between 2022 and 2025.
“Children of Kano State are still falling prey to polio virus and many too are yet to receive any routine vaccines.
“Vaccines are one of the most effective and cost saving public interventions in history. Yet, nearly 250,000 children in Kano State are zero dosed (yet to collect vaccines).
“I will give you four examples; in 2022, we had six reported cases of polio virus. In 2023, this case increased to 27. In 2024, the number increased again to 29 cases. This is almost five increases since 2020,” Muhammad noted.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, noted that the state government was determined to tackle the menace of polio and maternal mortality rate in the state.
“The method of MAMII introduced by the Federal government is equally what is driving the Kano State Government.
“We got the message about MAMII from the Federal Government and it reminds us of how much work we have to do in order to sustain the momentum.
“Kano State is aware that Nigeria wants to crash maternal mortality by 30 percent in the next three years and the state government also wants to ensure that Kano will crash the number by 30 percent as well if not more.”
The Executive Secretary, Kano State Hospitals Management Board, Dr. Mansur Mudi Nagoda, reiterated the government’s effort in curtailing the rate of maternal death to its minimum in the state.
Giving a brief after the maiden meeting of inaugurating the free maternal neonatal child health committee, he emphasised the importance of giving a 100 percent preference as the Federal Government had also launched maternal mortality reduction innovation initiative MAMII project to address Nigeria’s troubling maternal and neonatal mortality rate.
The state government has since launched a free maternity project for all expectant mothers, including free caesarian section, free delivery and free delivery kits on monthly basis to the state owned facilities.
“We are going to create more awareness by doing a campaign, which will extend to the rural communities to let them know the importance of going to the hospital and to also know that the services are free. We will make sure that items needed for the services are always readily available in our facilities.
“Our revolution supervision visits are to curtail all interventional delays and ensure patients’ satisfaction. We will look at our reporting system, and effect all initiatives targeting overall reduction,” Nagoda said.
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