The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Gavi, the international vaccination alliance, have handed over 28 solar-powered primary healthcare (PHC) facilities to the Kano State Government to boost maternal and child health services.
The project, co-funded by Gavi and the Kano State Government, is aimed at strengthening the healthcare system, improving routine immunisation, and tackling preventable diseases, particularly among mothers and children.
Speaking at the official handover ceremony to the state government and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Kano State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, said the facilities would help address the challenge of zero-dose children and pregnant women who lack access to immunisation and basic healthcare.
“UNICEF, in collaboration with Gavi, has supported the solarisation of PHC facilities under the CDS3 Health System Strengthening initiative, focusing on Nigeria’s 100 zero-dose LGAs where large numbers of children remain unvaccinated and deprived of other health services,” he said.
Dr. Yusuf noted that Kano tops the list in Nigeria for zero-dose cases, stressing that the solar-powered facilities would play a crucial role in closing the gap.
“In 2023, UNICEF supported a comprehensive PHC functionality and energy needs assessment, which led to the selection of 371 facilities for solarisation. The current installation phase, in partnership with eHealth Systems Africa, saw 28 PHCs in Kano fully equipped with solar power,” he explained.
He added that the selection process prioritised PHCs in zero-dose LGAs, excluded those covered by other projects such as CRIBS and IMPACT, and targeted facilities without reliable electricity.
“Priority was given to Level-2 PHCs already providing routine immunisation, as well as those with minimal staffing to strengthen their capacity,” Dr. Yusuf said, warning against converting the facilities for personal use or other purposes.
For her part, Gavi Senior Country Manager, Jessica Crawford, described the partnership as part of a collective effort to strengthen Kano’s healthcare system and improve maternal and child health outcomes.
“Kano is strategic, hence the need to support the state to curb zero-dose cases among children,” she said, adding that Gavi would spend about five million dollars in Kano over the next two years to support policies and programmes in line with the Nigerian government’s health objectives.
Crawford urged the state government to invest more in healthcare to sustain improvements in immunisation coverage, visibility, and accountability.
“Gavi stands with you to strengthen your health system to ensure Kano children receive vaccines,” she said.
The Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Kano, Rahama Rihood Mohammed Farah, represented by Officer-in-Charge Michael Banda, said the initiative was a step toward building a sustainable and equitable healthcare system for all.
Banda noted that “reliable electricity enables proper vaccine refrigeration, round-the-clock services, and reduced reliance on fossil fuels.”
PIAK