The Kano State Government has flagged off the 2026 Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW) and Birth Registration Campaign, aimed at expanding access to essential healthcare and nutrition services for women and children across the state.
Governor Yusuf, represented by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, launched the week-long campaign in Kano.
Dr. Yusuf said the exercise would be conducted across all 44 local government areas of the state, offering routine immunisation, Vitamin A supplementation, multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women, nutrition screening, and birth registration services.
He urged parents and caregivers to take advantage of the free services by presenting their children and pregnant women at designated health facilities during the campaign.
The commissioner also expressed appreciation to UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), Nutrition International and other development partners for supporting the initiative, noting that their contributions would ensure the success of the campaign.
In his remarks, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Kano, Shafeeq Ur-Rehman, described the campaign as a renewed commitment to improving the health, nutrition and survival of mothers, newborns and children while ensuring that every child is legally recognized through birth registration.
He said the integrated campaign would provide high-impact interventions, including Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, immunisation, nutrition screening for children, and multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women.
According to him, UNICEF and its partners aim to reach about 2.7 million children aged six to 59 months with Vitamin A supplementation and provide multiple micronutrient supplements to 97,129 pregnant women during the exercise.
He explained that the campaign would be implemented through 1,324 health facilities across the 484 wards in Kano State’s 44 local government areas, with birth registration services integrated into the exercise.
Mr. Ur-Rehman commended the Kano State Government for approving ₦200 million for the procurement of multiple micronutrient supplements, describing the investment as a demonstration of the government’s commitment to improving maternal and child nutrition.
He also called on parents, caregivers, traditional and religious leaders to support the campaign by ensuring eligible women and children access the free services, while urging communities to reject misconceptions that hinder healthcare uptake.
KHADIJAH ALIYU
