UNICEF on Tuesday launched the 2025 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Week in Kano State, urging stronger investments in child and maternal wellbeing.
Speaking at the event held at Birji Primary Healthcare Centre in Madobi LGA, Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Kano, Mr. Rahama Farah, called on stakeholders to prioritize funding and support for women and children’s health across the state.
Speaking at the event, Farah, said that Kano remained a strategic state in addressing issues related to women and children’s rights, owing to its population of over 17 million people, including approximately 3.5 million under-five children and about 900,000 pregnant women.
He said the two rounds of MNCHW scheduled for 2025 were critical in delivering life-saving services to children and mothers in the state.
“The first round of MNCHW will provide Vitamin A supplements, deworming tablets, anti-malaria treatment and immunization services to children, as well as multiple micronutrient supplements (MMS) to pregnant women,” Farah stated.
He said UNICEF had supplied sufficient quantities of Vitamin A and MMS to reach over 2.6 million children aged 6–59 months and 500,000 pregnant women, representing 80 per cent of the target population.
Farah expressed concern over the high rate of malnutrition in Nigeria, where about 11 million children under five experience severe food poverty.
“In Kano State, one in two children is stunted, and over 10 per cent are wasted or too thin for their height,” he said, referencing data based on UNICEF and WHO child nutrition indices,” he explained.
The UNICEF official emphasised that child food poverty is one of the most severe forms of deprivation, significantly increasing the risk of wasting, a life-threatening condition.
He encouraged families and caregivers to fully participate in the week-long health campaign to ensure broad coverage of routine immunisation, particularly for Penta, polio, HPV and Td vaccines.
Farah reaffirmed UNICEF’s continued partnership with Kano State across health and nutrition sectors, particularly in supporting children and women in rural and underserved communities.
He urged Gov. Abba Kabir Yusuf to prioritise health sector funding and workforce development.
“I appeal to His Excellency to invest more resources in 2025. UNICEF will match this effort by procuring additional Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) and MMS through the Child Nutrition Fund,” Farah said.
He also called on the state government to implement a second round of MNCHW by December 2025, procure adequate deworming tablets, extend the duration of paid maternity leave, and scale up health worker deployment in remote areas.
The ceremony was attended by senior government representatives, development partners, traditional leaders and members of the media.
Earlier, Gov. Abba Yusuf commended UNICEF and other development partners for supporting the state government’s efforts to improve the health of residents.
Yusuf, who was represented by his Deputy, Aminu Abdussalam, reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening the healthcare system, especially at the primary healthcare level.
Speaking also, the Commissioner for Health Dr Abubakar Labaran, said several health facilities had been renovated under the current administration, with free medical services provided to residents as part of broader health sector reforms.
Labaran listed a number of Primary Health Care Centres that had already benefited from the interventions, and assured that the Ministry of Health would continue to monitor health facilities to enhance service delivery.
According to him, the campaign aims to protect thousands of children and vulnerable populations during the peak malaria transmission season through the administration of preventive medication and distribution of treated mosquito nets across the state.
