By Samuel Solomon
The Kano State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the State Agency for the Control of AIDS (KSACA) and Trinity Healthcare Foundation, has convened a high-level stakeholder meeting to accelerate the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Viral Hepatitis, and Syphilis in the state.
The one-day summit, themed “Synergizing Efforts Towards Triple Elimination: Strengthening Investment, Innovation, and Collaboration to End HIV, Viral Hepatitis and Syphilis in Kano State,” held Thursday at Chartwell Hotel & Suites, Nasarawa GRA, brought together top government officials, development partners, civil society organizations, and traditional and religious leaders.
Delivering the keynote address, Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, described the initiative as a demonstration of the state government’s collective resolve to protect mothers, safeguard newborns, and strengthen the health system in pursuit of Universal Health Coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.
“Triple Elimination ensures every pregnant woman is screened for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis at her first antenatal visit, with immediate treatment, prevention, safe delivery, and postnatal follow-up,” Dr Yusuf stated.
He noted that while Kano’s HIV prevalence stands at 0.6 per cent against the national average of 1.4 per cent, complacency remains a major risk. “Low prevalence is not low burden. Our greatest risk in Kano is not the epidemic; it is complacency about it,” he warned.
On Hepatitis B, the Commissioner painted a more concerning picture, revealing that the North-West zone carries Nigeria’s heaviest Hepatitis B burden at approximately 12.1 per cent, the highest of the six geopolitical zones. He lamented that Hepatitis B remains the least screened of the three infections in antenatal clinics, with the birth-dose vaccine still missed in too many deliveries.
Dr Yusuf emphasized the need for integrated screening, noting: “A woman who must be tested three times, in three places, on three days, is a woman we will lose along the way. One woman, one visit, one finger-prick, three results. We must make that single contact count.”
The Commissioner outlined the state’s commitments, including increasing investment in integrated screening commodities, institutionalising routine Triple Elimination across all antenatal facilities in the 44 Local Government Areas, guaranteeing the Hepatitis B birth-dose within 24 hours of delivery, strengthening surveillance and accountability, and integrating services into state health financing.
He called on development partners to align technical and financial support with the state’s strategy and urged traditional, religious, and community leaders to address stigma and encourage early antenatal attendance.
“This is among the most cost-effective investments any government can make,” Dr Yusuf stated. “History will not judge us by the policies we drafted or the meetings we convened. It will judge us by the mothers we protected and the children we saved.”
The event featured presentations on the fourth generation HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis testing, product presentations by Abbott, and the national strategy on Triple Elimination. A panel discussion on financing and partnership models brought together representatives from the Accountant General’s office, Ministry of Planning and Budget, Bill Gates Foundation, KHETFUND, Dangote Group, BUA Group, and other stakeholders.
Development partners represented included CHAI, GGHN, CARE-2, LAFIYA, THRIVE, ACIPHEP, RAHAMA, SWATCH, and various civil society organizations.
The summit concluded with the drafting of a communique and pledges from stakeholders, with the Director of Public Health delivering closing remarks.
“If Triple Elimination succeeds in Kano, Nigeria succeeds,” the Commissioner declared. “If it fails here, Nigeria cannot claim to have eliminated anything.”
