By: Mukhtar Yahaya Shehu
The Kano State Government, under the visionary leadership of Governor Alhaji. Abba Kabir Yusuf, has taken a major stride in the fight against hypertension, one of the leading causes of heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and premature deaths in Nigeria.
Recognizing the crucial role of Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities as the first and most accessible point of contact for the majority of the population, the State has strengthened hypertension prevention and management services to bring care closer to the people.
Through the National Hypertension Control Initiative (NHCI), with technical support from Resolve to Save Lives and Project HOPE, Kano State initially piloted hypertension services in 52 PHCs, offering routine blood pressure checks, treatment initiation, and follow-up care.
In a statement signed by public relations officer state ministry for health Nabilisi Abubakar Kofar Na’isa said following the success of the pilot phase, the State Government has now scaled up these lifesaving services to 208 Primary healthcare facilities across the 44 Local Government Areas of the state. This bold expansion demonstrates Kano’s strong commitment to tackling non-communicable diseases, improving access to essential care, and strengthening its health system.
With this development, thousands more residents will now benefit from timely detection, treatment, and continuous follow-up for hypertension right within their communities. The initiative will help prevent costly complications, reduce hospital admissions, and promote healthier, more productive lives for Kano citizens.
The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, commended the dedication of health workers involved in the program and called on the selected health workers to redouble their efforts in supporting the system to achieve lasting success in hypertension prevention and control.
Kano’s leadership and commitment in scaling up hypertension services serve as a model for other states in Nigeria to emulate in advancing equitable and sustainable health care services.
