Umar Idris Shuaibu – Kano
The Kano State Government has assured its commitment to work with stakeholders and partners to make the state Tuberculosis free.
The State Commissioner for Health Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf asserted this during a Press briefing, as part of the Government effort to commemorate ‘2024 National Childhood Tuberculosis Testing Week’ in Kano.
He said the week-long activity is aimed at providing intensified TB screening to young children.
Dr. Labaran added that the first national childhood TB testing week that was held last year led to the detection and treatment of 4,054 children in Nigeria including 114 children detected and treated in Kano state.
“This year’s commemoration is special because it is merged with other health services such as nutrition, HIV services, free X-ray, targeted school and Tsangaya-based TB screening, targeted community outreaches, screening of children in pediatric clinics, immunization units and wards, screening of vulnerable children, contact tracing of diagnosed children and placement on TB preventive treatment”.
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”This is because it is part of the agenda of Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf administration that put the health and wellbeing of the Kano residents at the forefront”, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf.
The State Commissioner for Health called on the parents to visit any designated facilities to make sure their children benefited from the free screening exercise of the Kano State Government.
“Any undiagnosed or untreated child with TB disease can transmit it to about 10-15 people within one year, so there is a need to make our society free from TB”.
“Recently the State, through the Federal Ministry of Health, has provided equipment, drugs, other resources and trained personnel as part of the effort to end TB”, Dr. Abubakar Labaran.
He called on Kano residents to give maximum support toward the success of the exercise and urged them to visit the nearest Health Facility for TB screening, early diagnosis, and prompt treatment free of charge.