The Kano State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating the mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis through strengthened antenatal care services, early diagnosis and prompt treatment.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Yusuf, stated this on Thursday in Kano during a summit on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the three infections.
Yusuf described the diseases as largely preventable, noting that syphilis is completely curable when detected and treated early.
“We are calling on women and their husbands to ensure that pregnant women register early for antenatal care so that any abnormality affecting the mother or unborn child can be detected and appropriate interventions provided,” he said.
The commissioner disclosed that Kano is among the few states implementing the national Triple Elimination Strategy aimed at ending the vertical transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis.
He expressed optimism that resolutions reached at the summit would strengthen the state’s response and further improve maternal and child healthcare services.
Yusuf also urged pregnant women to begin antenatal care as early as possible to enable health workers to detect and manage infections alongside other pregnancy-related complications.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of the Kano State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (KSACA), Dr. Usman Bashir, said the summit was organised to showcase the state’s efforts in combating the three infections.
According to him, the initiative aligns with national and global strategies to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and Syphilis.
Bashir noted that while significant progress has been made in preventing the vertical transmission of HIV, greater attention is still required to tackle Hepatitis B and Sy for Syphilis. Pregnant women diagnosed with Hepatitis B are placed on Tenofovir where necessary, while newbornashir also noted that the North-West geopolitical zone records one of the highest prevalence rates of Hepatitis Bphilis.
“Kano has gone beyond routine testing by providing treatment and vaccines for Hepatitis B, as well as treatment for Syphilis. Pregnant women diagnosed with Hepatitis B are placed on Tenofovir where necessary, while newborns receive the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth to reduce the risk of transmission,” he said.
He called on other states to adopt similar interventions to accelerate Nigeria’s progress towards eliminating mother-to-child transmission of the three infections.
Bashir also noted that the North-West geopolitical zone records one of the highest prevalence rates of Hepatitis B in the country, underscoring the need for sustained preventive measures.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the summit brought together policymakers, development partners, healthcare professionals and other stakeholders to review progress and strengthen collaboration on the implementation of the Triple Elimination Strategy.
Source:NAN
