The Katsina State government has partnered with the United Nations Children Funds ( UNICEF) to launch an initiative that provides grants to 800,000 mothers whose children have completed routine immunisation.
Each mother received N5,000, which is expected to cover expenses related to healthcare and wellbeing.
The state government has also distributed 163 motorcycles to healthcare workers, donated through the GAVI primary healthcare Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) , which will enable them to reach remote areas and ensure that no child is left behind. A new immunisation primary healthcare centre was also commissioned to foster collaboration among professionals.
In his remarks at the flag-off ceremony in Katstina, the governor, Umaru Radda, expressed his administration’s commitment to strengthening healthcare facilities and building a resilient primary healthcare system that is responsive to every resident of the state, emphasising that healthy children are the foundation of a prosperous society, and it is the responsibility of the government to nurture them.
“Our focus is to build a resilient primary healthcare system that is responsive to every resident of the state. We have strategically increased funding for healthcare by over 800%, reaching a total of 3.77 billion between June 2023 and April 2024.
“This fund is channeled into various areas, including human capital development, primary healthcare, medical oncology, pediatrics, and scholarships for medical students.
” We also provide allowances worth 100 million to 510 medical students both at home and abroad. Additionally, we have provided 10 container trucks of medical supplies worth $10 million from the World Relief headquarters in Michigan, including MRI and CT scans, as well as other essential medical tools”, he said.
The chief UNICEF field office Kano, Rahama Farah, urged government, traditional leaders and community members to forge partnership to eliminate unimmunised children in the state.
