KANO, Nigeria – The Kano State Government has rolled out a comprehensive health package targeting pregnant women with free antenatal care, screening for infectious diseases, and delivery support.
Speaking in Takai Local Government Area on Thursday, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, said the initiative aims to block the transmission of preventable diseases from mothers to unborn children while encouraging hospital-based deliveries.
“Every month, we distribute 25,000 to 30,000 antenatal kits and 6,000 delivery kits, including 500 for Caesarean Sections, to pregnant women free of charge,” Dr. Yusuf said. “This is not just about delivery; it’s about dignity, safety, and survival.”
He added that the state had now institutionalised free premarital and antenatal screening for HIV, hepatitis, syphilis, and sickle cell disease, describing it as a “preventive revolution.”
“In Kano, we’re not waiting for problems to escalate — we are identifying and tackling them early,” the commissioner said.
Backed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration, the state is also renovating 191 health centres and has launched therapeutic food distribution for malnourished children in partnership with UNICEF. “This is what proactive governance looks like,” Dr. Yusuf concluded.
