Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, on Wednesday, said his government allocated 13 per cent of its 2018 budget to the health sector towards providing quality health-care services.
“The government aims to strengthen the control of HIV/AIDs and tuberculosis, polio, malaria, cholera, measles and other child-killer diseases in collaboration with development partners,” he said.
The governor stated that two specialist hospitals at Giginyu and Zoo Road were equipped with modern facilities in 2017, while attention was being given to the procurement of medical equipment and the upgrading of primary health centres.
While thanking the principal MOU partners, he implored them to sustain the support to the state Ministry of Health and its agencies.
The Chairman, Dangote Foundation, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, commended the state on the progress made so far, especially the 100 per cent funding of the immunisation programme.
He said, “The state government should do more regarding community engagement work, in trying to stimulate demand for immunisation and primary health care, and for improved transparency and inclusion of partners/technical working groups in all procurement processes.”
In his remarks, the Co-chair, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, stressed the importance of data quality, and urged the Ganduje administration “to step up its efforts towards strengthening broader primary health care services”.
The Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi, advised the state Ministry of Health and its agencies to consider prioritisation of some selected local government areas before scaling up other community-based health interventions, especially leveraging on modern technology.
