Kano state government distributed free anti-malaria drugs and commodities worth N500 million to 748 hospitals across the 44 local government areas of the state in 2017.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr Kabiru Ibrahim Getso, disclosed this at a press conference to mark the 2018 World Malaria Day celebration yesterday. He said the commodities were distributed to 17 health facilities in each of the 44 local government councils.
Getso said the state government also distributed over 200,000 Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLINs) in all the 44 LGs in the year under review, adding that the distribution of the nets “is still ongoing, and 8.5 million nets to be distributed in 2019. He added that the state government had provided free malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test kits (mRDTs) to health facilities, adding that pregnant women also got free malaria drugs.
“The state government had also distributed 40 microscopes to general hospitals to aid parasitological diagnoses of malaria in the state.
“It is on record that the Kano state government, under the leadership of Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has placed highest priority on saving lives of women and children through provision of essential health care services, both at primary and secondary levels. “This commitment is afford by providing adequate funds for the elimination of malaria in Kano state. It is worthy of note that in 2017 alone, the state government provided items with millions of naira to combat and eliminate malaria in the state,” he said.