KNSG to Provide Enabling Environment for SFH’s New Project

The Kano state government has vowed to provide the enabling environment for the successful implementation of Key Population Community HIV Service for Action and Response (KP-CARE-2), a new project of the Society for Family Health (SFH) to help restrain the prevalence of HIV in the state.

This was revealed by the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf while receiving a delegation of the SFH in his office to inform him about the project.

This is contained in a statement Signed by Ibrahim Abdullahi, Information Officer Kano state Ministry of Health.

The Commissioner recalled that there has been a long existing working relationship between Kano state and the SFH and appreciated the excellent services they have provided so far to the state and the country at large, adding that the new project is going to be domiciled at Kano State Society for the Control of AIDS (KSACA) because the Agency has competent and capable people that know all the ethics SFH is expected.

He assured SFH of the smooth conduct of the project in Kano state, commending them for scaling down to the level of primary health centres through equipping and training of manpower which he described as an excellent approach for effective service delivery.

The Commissioner also hailed them for including provision of free HIV drugs into the project, noting that it will greatly help patients in easing their sufferings as currently there are certain drugs that are hard to find nationwide despite approving and releasing of fund by the state government.

Dr. Labaran expressed appreciation for the measures taken by His Excellency Alhaji Abba Kabiru to revitalizing the state’s health sector entirely which is overtly witnessed by any well to mean individuals in the state.

Earlier speaking, the Chief Party for SFH KP-CARE-2 project, Mr. Abdussamad Salihu, revealed that the project has been in Nigeria for four years in six states, namely Adamawa, Bauchi, Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and Borno.

He further said that in view of the successes the project recorded in those states, it was scaled up to Kano and Taraba last year, revealing that Kano has been chosen because of it is strategic and has huge population equivalent to a country.

Mr. Salihu stated that the essence of the project is to ensure key population who are HIV positive are identified, tested and put into treatment in order to suppress the HIV virus in them so that they can avert new transmission.

Looking at the dynamic of HIV in Nigeria, according to the Chief Party, the war against HIV is being won considering the fact that the prevalence of the menace among general population is less than 1% in some places.

He however lamented that the prevalence remains high in some key population such as commercial sex workers whose clients that cut across all set of people of the society including married man with more than one wife who can transmit HIV to innocent people, are unknown, emphasizing that until this key population are identified, tested and put on treatment the war will not entirely be won.

Mr. Salihu averred that they are trying to bring the service closer to the people through partnering with various primary healthcare centres so much that they are trying as much as possible in every ward to identify a partner PHC where they can build capacity of its staff and provide equipment to the facility for effective service delivery.

He appreciated the warm reception they received from the Commissioner and his assurance to always open his door to them any time they need his attention, further hailing him for his promise to provide them with the enabling environment for the smooth execution of the KP-CARE-2 project.

The delegation is led by the DG KSACA, Dr. Usman Bashir and informed the Commissioner that the KP-CARE-2, which is a scaled up project from other states, is planned to commence in Kano in January 2024.