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, Abubakar Yusuf, stated this on Thursday in Kano during a summit on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of the three infections.
Mr Yusuf said the infections are largely preventable, noting that syphilis can be completely cured when detected and treated early.
He urged pregnant women and their spouses to ensure early registration for antenatal care.
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“We are calling on women and their husbands to ensure that pregnant women attend antenatal clinics early so that any abnormality in the mother or unborn child can be detected and appropriate interventions provided.
The commissioner stated that Kano is among a few states that have commenced the implementation of the national triple elimination strategy aimed at ending the vertical transmission of the three infections.
He expressed optimism that the resolutions from the summit will further strengthen the state’s response and improve healthcare delivery.
The commissioner urged pregnant women to register for antenatal care as early as possible to enable health workers to detect and manage infections alongside other pregnancy-related complications.
On his part, the Director-General of the Kano State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS (KSACA), Usman Bashir, said the summit was organised to showcase the state’s efforts in combating the diseases.
Mr Bashir stated that the initiative aligns with national and global strategies for eliminating the vertical transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis.
He said that significant progress has been made in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, but greater attention is required for Hepatitis B and Syphilis.
“Kano has gone beyond routine testing by providing treatment and vaccines for Hepatitis B, as well as treatment for Syphilis,” he said.
“Pregnant women diagnosed with Hepatitis B are placed on Tenofovir where necessary, while babies receive the Hepatitis B vaccine at birth to reduce transmission.”
The director-general called on other states to adopt similar interventions to accelerate Nigeria’s progress toward eliminating mother-to-child transmission of the infections.
He noted that the North-West zone has one of the highest Hepatitis B prevalence rates in the country, making sustained preventive interventions imperative.
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 triple elimination initiative.
(NAN)