Kano Health Commissioner Leads Strategic Push to Strengthen Publicity in Health Sector

By Musa Abdullahi Sufi | Kano, Nigeria

In a landmark effort to transform health communication and boost public awareness, the Kano State Ministry of Health convened a high-level strategic meeting on Friday at the Emergency Operations Center of Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital.

Chaired by the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, the meeting brought together Public Relations Officers (PROs), Senior Special Reporters (SSRs), and Special Reporters (SRs) from across the ministry and its agencies.

The gathering focused on one critical mission, reshaping health sector publicity to ensure every resident of Kano is informed, engaged, and empowered.

Communication as the Backbone of Health Progress

Dr. Yusuf, in his opening remarks, emphasized the power of information as the bridge between policy and the people. He noted that no health initiative can succeed without clear, consistent, and culturally relevant communication.

“Our goal is to ensure that no community is left behind in accessing vital health information. Effective communication is the bridge between policy and the people, and together we will continue to strengthen that bridge for the benefit of all Kano residents,” he declared.

Key Decisions from the Meeting

The session was not just about dialogue, it delivered actionable outcomes that mark a new era of coordinated publicity in Kano’s health sector. Among them include:

Central coordination desk, Establishment of a unified hub for health publicity, strategic publicity framework covering all health campaigns with harmonized messaging, collaborative model that is closer synergy between PROs, SSRs, and SRs to eliminate fragmented communication.

Others include, digital and traditional edia mix by leveraging online platforms alongside radio, TV, and community channels to maximize outreach, community-centered messaging by crafting culturally sensitive content to resonate with diverse populations and capacity building with regular training and review sessions for communication officers to stay ahead of evolving challenges.

A United Front for Health Awareness

The meeting gathered some of Kano’s most influential health leaders, signaling the seriousness of this new push. Present were the Director-General of the Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency (DMCSA), Pharm. Gali Sule; DG of the State Primary Health Care Management Board, Prof. Salisu Ibrahim Ahmad; Executive Secretary of Kano State Health Trust Fund (KHETFUND), Dr. Fatima Usman Zahraddeen; and her counterpart from the Hospital Management Board, Dr. Mansur Mudi Nagoda.

Also in attendance were Dr. Rahila Aliyu Mukhtar of the Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA); Dr. Usman Bashir of the Kano State Agency for the Control of AIDS (KSACA); Prof. Muhammad Abbas of the Kano Center for Disease Control (KNCDC); and Dr. Muhammad Nasir Mahmoud of the Private Health Institutions Management Agency (PHIMA).

Towards a Health-Information Revolution in Kano

With a renewed commitment from all stakeholders, the meeting ended with consensus that health communication is not an afterthought, but the frontline of public health service delivery.

This strategic realignment promises not only to enhance visibility for government programmes but also to ensure that people across Kano urban and rural alike are equipped with the knowledge they need to make informed health decisions.

Kano’s approach now stands as a potential model for other Nigerian states and indeed Africa at large on how coordinated health publicity can drive impact, accountability, and community ownership in the health sector.