The feat followed the commitment of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje’s administration in Saving one Milion lives Programme on the platform of offering low cost intervention to Pregnant Women and Children under the age of five years in the State.
Dr. Ganduje disclosed this during the Flag-off of the MNCH 2019, held at Getso in Gwarzo Local Government Area.
Dr. Ganduje who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna stated that, “during the last round of the exercise, over two million Children were supplemented with Vitamin A, while 1,180,760 Children were dewormed and thousands of women were given LLIN, Iron- Folate supplements and malaria prevention drugs respectively.
”Kano State Government which has been consistent in the implementation of all health programmes aimed at improving the lives of our people, has provided all necessary support to ensure this campaign is a success.
”This administration has placed the highest priority on saving the lives of especially Women and Children through the provision of essential health services both at Primary and Secondary care levels, and did not relent in taking holistic insight in to the fundamental needs of our healthcare sector and came up with comprehensive action plan.”
He assured that Kano State Government would strive and work harder in delivering more democratic dividends in housing, transportation, fly-over bridges, improving road network, agriculture, commerce and many other interventions that would improve standard of living and ensure development in the state.
He emphasized the importance of the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week to the lives of Women and Children, maintaining that, “this week exercise would provide Vitamin A supplement for Children, Deworming of Children, immunization, Screening of Children Nutritional Status and Birth registration exercise among others.”
On his part, the Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II, represented by the District Head of Tudun Wada, Dr. Bashir Ibrahim Muhammad Dankadai, expressed satisfaction on the effort made by Kano State Government and other development partners in promoting the lives of Women and Children in the State despite economic challenges.
Also speaking, the State Commissioner of Health, Dr. Kabiru Ibrahim Getso said the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week is a week- long event during which low cost interventions are offered to prevent women and Children under age of 5 with the aim of increasing coverage levels of some important preventive and curative health indicators that allow mothers and Children to thrive and develop.
According to him, Kano State Government in collaboration with other developed partners had spent over N1 million in procuring the needed supplements to ensure the successful conduct of the MNCHW Programme across the 44 local government areas in the State.
On the effort being made by the State to improve the health sector, Dr. Getso explained “The Present administration of Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has renovated and equipped over 300 Hospitals with new working materials to ensure that people benefit more from its health revitalization agenda.
”Apart from this, Kano State Government has procured medicines worth billion of naira and distributed to the hospitals across the State, provided free maternal care and free Child treatment in the State,” he added.
Former Deputy Governor of Kano State, Engr. Tijjani Mohammed Gwarzo, the representatives of CDC Dr. Halladu Sulaiman and that of UNICEF Dr. Muhammad were among the dignitaries that spoke at the occasion.