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IntegratE project trains 950 private health providers in Kano
Nasiru Yusuf
The newly launched IntegratE 2 project has set to train 950 private health providers in Kano by 2026.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Regional Programme Manager of IntegratE 2, Dayyabu Mahmud Yusuf revealed this on Thursday while presenting an overview of the project.
He said the targeted beneficiaries are Community Pharmacists and Proprietary Patent Medicine Vendors (PPMVs).
He said they needed support from the stakeholders for the programme to succeed, saying that they were collaborating with the state government towards ensuring an enabling environment for the project.
Yusuf explained that the project started as a four-year programme in Lagos and Kaduna States, adding that currently they were authorized to undertake such services in other states.
According to him, under the project, which is core-sponsored by Bill and Melinda Gate Foundation, concentrates on core care of provision of hygiene, they are now working in 11 states of the federation to include, Kano, Nasarawa, Gombe and Enugu among others.
In his address the the state Commissioner of Health, Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa thanked the Society for Family Health for its intervention towards supporting the state in this direction.
The commissioner represented by the Director Pharmaceutical Services of the ministry, Ghali Sule described the initiative as timely as it would go a long way in improving and having positive impact on family planning in the state.
Tsanyawa appreciated the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria for its support, conveying the approval of the implementation of the programme in the state.
On his part, the Project Director of IntegratE in the country, Emeka Okafor, expressed appreciation the state government for provision of enabling environment for health services to thrive in the state.
Okafor emphasized that the need for the citizens to demand for quality service.
“The citizens should be made to understand the need to begin to demand for such quality services from such service providers.
“Even the beneficiaries should be aware of services they are provided with,” he said.
Okafor described IntegratE as a concept that targeted community pharmacists Proprietary Patent Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) that have the capacity to provide wide range of services primary health care services.
He said they were working in conjunction with Pharmacists Council of Nigeria in pursuing their objectives.
He said that they have since put in a structure for proper supervision under the project.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Secretary of the state Private Health Institution Management Agency, Usman Tijjani Aliyu, who doubled as the chairman of the occasion, described the initiative as a very good intervention aimed at empowering pharmacist and medicine vendors.
He reiterated that such intervention from the organization would go a long way in enhancing healthcare in the country.
Aliyu noted that the beneficiaries would receive training on some key problems militating against the society, health wise, expressing delight that they would now be equipped with knowledge on how to manage simple cases and refer others to hospitals.
Among the dignitaries that attended the meeting included the chairman of the state House of Assembly Committee on Health, Musa Ali Kachako, the member representing Rogo Constituency in the Assembly, Magaji Dahiru Zarewa, chairman of Kano Emirate Health committee Bashir Muhammad Dankadai (Dankadan Kano) and the District Head of Kiru in Karaye Emirate, Alhaji Garba Alhaji.
The event was brought to an end with the signing of the family planning waivers in the state.
The state Commissioner of Health, Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa, represented by the Director Pharmaceutical Services of the ministry, Ghali Sule, performed the signing of the waivers at the end of the meeting.
Headlines
EndBadGovernance protest: Kwankwaso slams police over arraignment of minors
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Former Governor of Kano state, Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has condemned the recent arraignment of 67 minors by the Nigeria Police Force in Abuja for allegedly participating in the #EndBadGovernance protest.
KANO FOCUS reports that Kwankwaso voiced out his concern in a statement shared on his X handle on Friday
Expressing shock at the development, the NNPP leader voiced grave concern over the treatment of the children.
Kwankwaso highlighted their malnourished condition and urgent need for medical care.
“These children, who are clearly malnourished and in need of medical attention, have been subjected to a cruel experience when they should be in school.
“The arraignment of such a large number of minors in their states is highly unusual and undermines every tenet of human rights and dignity,” he added.
He stressed that it is the government’s responsibility to protect vulnerable groups from harm.
He stated, “As leaders, it is our duty to protect the most vulnerable among us, particularly children, women, the elderly, and the needy. The
government should not be at the forefront of this violation.”
Speaking on the stringent bail conditions set for the minors, he said, “It is absurd that a teenager is required to find ₦10 million and a Grade 15 civil servant as bail surety.”
Citing the Child Rights Act of 2003, he noted, “Section 11 protects the dignity of every child and shields them from any physical, mental, or emotional injury, abuse, neglect, or maltreatment.”
Calling for immediate action, he urged authorities to reconsider the charges.
“I request that the relevant authorities immediately review these charges so that the minors can return to their families and become responsible citizens,” he urged.
He also called on the Federal Government “to address the challenges of banditry, kidnapping, Boko Haram, lack of stable electricity, and harsh economic policies rather than incarcerating children.”
Earlier, at the Federal High Court in Abuja, some minors arraigned over the #EndBadGovernance protest collapsed in the courtroom, many appearing visibly malnourished after three months of incarceration.
Following their arraignment, Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted bail to the #EndBadGovernance protesters, setting each bail at ₦10 million, totalling ₦760 million.
Each defendant is required to have two sureties. The judge specified that one surety must be a Level 15 civil servant, and the other must be the defendant’s parent.
The sureties are also required to submit letters of last promotion, letters of appointment, and valid identification to the court.
They must provide verified addresses, passport photographs, international passports, and swear an affidavit of means.
Headlines
Amnesty International demands release of detained #EndBadGovernance protesters
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The human rights group Amnesty International has condemned the continued detention of 76 #EndBadGovernance protesters, who were arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja Friday.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Nigeria Police arrested over a thousand protesters nationwide in August, following protests held between the 1st and the 10th of August 2024, demanding an end to the hardships and hunger caused by the policies of the Tinubu administration.
Among the 76 protesters arraigned were some minors, who appeared visibly malnourished after spending months in detention. One of the minors collapsed in court before being provided with biscuits and water.
Amnesty International stated that the attempt to charge the minors with treason demonstrated “the government’s utter disregard for the rule of law,” while also calling for their immediate and unconditional release.
“Amnesty International condemns President Bola Tinubu’s government for the continued detention of minors who participated in the August #EndBadGovernance protests. The attempts to subject these minors to a sham trial over alleged ‘treason’ demonstrate the government’s utter disregard for the rule of law. Authorities must release them immediately and unconditionally,” they stated.
The group also highlighted cases of unlawful arrests involving 12 minors in Katsina during the protests, as well as 43 others facing charges of treason at the Federal High Court in Abuja. They warned that the Nigerian authorities were escalating their efforts to deprive people of their right to peaceful protest through unlawful detentions and sham trials.
It stated, “In Katsina, at least 12 children under 16 years old were detained merely for being on the streets during the #EndBadGovernance protests. These children, with their entire lives ahead of them, are now at risk of being tried on fabricated charges.
“The unlawful detention of these minors, subjecting them to traumatic experiences for exercising their right to peaceful protest, is unacceptable. The government must release all of them immediately and unconditionally.”
Headlines
Sunusi Bature Aims to Eradicate Sickle Cell Births in Kano by 2034
Mukhtar Yahya Usman
In a determined push to eliminate sickle cell disease in Kano State, Malam Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, spokesperson for the Kano State Governor, has set an ambitious target: no child born with sickle cell by 2034.
Announcing this commitment during the foundation-laying of the Sadiq Maddibo Memorial Quranic Centre in Dawakin Tofa, Bature outlined the state’s focused approach to tackling the disease.
He revealed his collaboration with the sickle cell community to launch a comprehensive advocacy program aimed at eliminating sickle cell births across Kano.
“With careful planning and a unified strategy, we can make sickle cell births a thing of the past in Kano State, insha’Allah,” Bature said.
Central to this vision is the Kano Pre-Marital Law, which mandates genetic screening for couples, ensuring that marriages between carriers are avoided.
This law, supported by local religious leaders, aims to curb the genetic transmission of sickle cell disease.
Bature, who lost a son to sickle cell complications and has another child currently battling the condition, highlighted the devastating effects of the disease.
“Sickle cell is more dangerous than HIV,” he stated.
“It is our collective responsibility as citizens, advocates, and leaders to spread awareness and prevent high-risk marriages.”
Reflecting on his late son Sadiq’s lifelong struggle with sickle cell, marked by thousands of hospital visits and treatments, Bature stressed the critical role of pre-marital genetic testing in safeguarding future generations.
“This is a preventable tragedy,” he urged, calling on all residents to comply with the state’s mandatory testing to create a brighter, healthier future for Kano’s children.