The Kano State government says it is targeting a total of 400,000 pregnant women and 2.8 million children for free medical healthcare services during the annual Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) week.
According to the state’s Commissioner of Health, Dr. Aminu Tsanyawa, the MNCH week will be handled by the state Ministry of Health in collaboration with development partners.
Tsanyawa, while speaking during a press briefing in Kano on Monday said that the 2023 MNCH week would achieve greater coverage considering the increased support and commitment of the government and development partners.
He explained that the first round of 2023 MNCH week targets 2.8 million under five children and 400,000 women.
Tsanyawa said that the program was aimed at mitigating maternal and child mortality in the state.
“The exercise views to administer free medical services to pregnant women and children under five years of age.
“The MNCH campaign is a high impact, cost-effective, client-centered maternal, child health, and nutrition intervention aimed at reaching out to all women and children,” he added.
Tsanyawa said the week would render other services such as Vitamin A supplementation, deworming of children, nutritional assessment, free antenatal drugs, and others.
“In addition, there would be the distribution of free insecticide-treated nets to children and pregnant women as one of the effective malaria control strategies, family planning services, and immunization against childhood killer diseases,” he said.
While commending Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje for his support and people-oriented programs, Tsanyawa urged parents and guardians to avail their children of free medical services.
He also appealed to heads of households to allow their families to benefit from the services to be rendered at 1,300 health facilities across the 44 local government areas of the state.
The commissioner also commended development partners such as WHO, UNICEF, CHAI, Alive and Thrive, NCDC, and NPHCDA among others, for their support and contributions.
