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 reduce the prevalence of HIV in the state.
This was revealed by the Hon Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf while receiving a delegation of SFH in his office to inform him about the project, Thursday.
In a statement released to newsmen by Information Officer in the ministry, Ibrahim Abdullahi, the commissioner recalled that there has been an existing working relationship between Kano 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).
He assured SFH of the smooth conduct of the project in the 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 approval and release of funds by the state government.
Dr. Labaran expressed appreciation for the measures taken by His Excellency Alhaji Abba Kabiru to revitalise 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 it is strategic and has a 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.
The delegation led by the DG KSACA, Dr. Usman Bashir, informed the commissioner that KP-CARE-2, which is a scaled up project from other states, is planned to commence in Kano in January 2024.
