FIC Report (Kaduna State) – The Kaduna State Government flagged off the 2026 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) and HPV Vaccination Campaign, reaffirming its commitment to reducing maternal and child mortality through expanded access to primary healthcare services.
Flagging off the week-long campaign at the Primary Health Centre in Ikara, Deputy Governor Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe said essential services including routine immunisation, vitamin A supplementation, nutrition screening, antenatal care, health education and HPV vaccination for eligible adolescent girls would be provided across the state.
The event was attended by the Chairman of Ikara Local Government Area, representatives of development partners including UNICEF, the Gates Foundation and the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as traditional, community and religious leaders.
Dr. Balarabe said the administration of Governor Uba Sani had strengthened primary healthcare delivery by ensuring the availability of a functional Primary Health Care Centre in each of Kaduna State’s 255 political wards.
She identified misinformation, vaccine hesitancy and poor health-seeking behaviour as major obstacles to improved health outcomes, urging traditional rulers, religious leaders and community stakeholders to support mobilisation efforts during the campaign.
The Deputy Governor also highlighted the importance of HPV vaccination in protecting adolescent girls against cervical cancer and called on parents and caregivers to ensure eligible children and girls benefit from the interventions.
She commended the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board, Ministry of Health, development partners and frontline health workers for their continued support in improving healthcare delivery and reducing preventable deaths among women and children.
Dr. Balarabe thereafter formally declared the 2026 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week and HPV Vaccination Campaign open.
Signed:
Muhammad Gwani
AD FIRC KADUNA
10th June, 2026.
