Kaduna State is taking steps to embed harm reduction strategies within its health system, with a focus on women who use drugs, in a bid to curb the spread of HIV and hepatitis.
The Kaduna State Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (KADSAMHSA) revealed plans to formalise community-driven outreach initiatives aimed at reaching vulnerable women and improving health outcomes.
Speaking on Wednesday at the opening of a three-day 2026 Linking and Learning Meeting themed “Beyond Outreach: Sustaining Harm Reduction in a Shifting Funding Landscape,” the agency’s Director-General, Dr Joseph Ike, said the move is designed to ensure long-term impact.
He explained that women who use drugs remain a largely underserved and difficult-to-reach group, especially in Northern Nigeria, due to deep-rooted cultural and social barriers.
Citing findings from a 2020 survey by the UNODC and the Federal Ministry of Health, Ike noted that approximately one in every four drug users is female.
The meeting, organised alongside the Society for Family Health (SFH), attracted participants from Gombe, Abia, Oyo, and Kaduna states, creating a platform for cross-state engagement.
Ike highlighted Kaduna’s pioneering role in Sub-Saharan Africa, noting that it is the only jurisdiction in the region to have developed and implemented a full-scale Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) programme in collaboration with the UNODC.
According to him, the gathering is structured to promote peer learning among government actors, allowing them to exchange practical experiences, review strategies, and draw lessons from ongoing interventions.
“It will also align stakeholders on practical approaches to improving HIV and hepatitis treatment linkages, increase uptake of Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP), and identify opportunities to integrate complementary services within existing delivery platforms.
“The meeting seeks to reinforce institutional ownership of harm reduction programmes within the state health system and advocate for sustainable financing.
“It will further develop an evidence-based advocacy brief with policy recommendations to address service delivery bottlenecks affecting women who use drugs,” he said.
Delivering a keynote address, the Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Kaltum-Ahmed, described the focus on women who use drugs as both a moral responsibility and a critical public health concern.
She observed that dwindling global donor support for health programmes makes it imperative for governments to take ownership of harm reduction initiatives.
“This reality demands a shift in mindset. Harm reduction must no longer be seen as a donor-driven initiative but must be fully institutionalized within our health systems.
“Our focus must be on sustainability by embedding services such as NSPs, treatment linkages, and drop-in centers into government frameworks, supported by domestic financing and strong policy commitment,” she said.
Kaltum-Ahmed stressed that long-term success will depend not only on funding but also on stronger inter-agency collaboration.
She pointed to the state’s “Team Health” strategy as a deliberate shift from fragmented responses to a more unified and coordinated system.
The commissioner also praised the synergy between KADSAMHSA and SFH, noting that it demonstrates the power of government–civil society partnerships.
She further drew attention to the multiple challenges faced by women who use drugs, including stigma, gender-based violence, and economic hardship, which often prevent them from accessing essential healthcare services.
“Many avoid conventional health services due to fear of discrimination, arrest or social consequences, leaving them underserved and largely invisible.
“Ignoring this population undermines efforts to control HIV and hepatitis transmission,” she said.
She added that Kaduna is aligning with the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp), which promotes unified planning, shared resources, and collective accountability across sectors such as healthcare, law enforcement, and social services.
According to her, integrating harm reduction into broader systems will strengthen service delivery and ensure continuity despite limited resources.
Kaltum-Ahmed encouraged other participating states to draw lessons from Kaduna’s approach while adapting it to their local realities, stressing the importance of sustained collaboration.
She also reassured women who use drugs of the government’s commitment to inclusivity and care.
“We acknowledge your struggles, respect your resilience, and remain committed to ensuring that you are served without judgment or exclusion,” she said.
Stakeholders who delivered goodwill messages commended the Society for Family Health for its sustained interventions, particularly in tackling hepatitis among women living with HIV.
They emphasised that the health challenges involved cut across state lines and require coordinated, nationwide responses.
