Government Offers Health Insurance To 4,200 HIV-Positive Residents, 600 Orphans In Kano

Government offers health insurance to 4,200 HIV-positive residents, 600 orphans in Kano. Health commissioner Abubakar Labaran disclosed this at a media briefing on Monday to commemorate the 2025 World AIDS Day.

The Kano government says it has enrolled more than 600 orphans and vulnerable children and 4,200 people living with HIV into its health insurance scheme.

Health commissioner Abubakar Labaran disclosed this at a media briefing on Monday to commemorate the 2025 World AIDS Day.
Mr Labaran said the enrolment was implemented through the Kano State Health Trust Fund in collaboration with development partners. He described the commemoration as an opportunity to stand in solidarity with millions of people living with HIV globally.

“For Kano state, we currently have 37,825 people living with HIV, including 4,381 children, with 551 recorded deaths so far in 2025,” he said.

The commissioner said the theme underscored the need for increased domestic financing for HIV response, especially as donor organisations gradually withdraw support.
He said the government responded by expanding the budget line for the Kano State Agency for the Control of AIDS from about N300 million to N2 billion for 2025 and beyond.

“We have released about N500 million this year alone to bridge gaps created by disruptions in external funding,” he said.
He added that Governor Abba Yusuf remained committed to equitable and non-discriminatory healthcare for all residents.
Mr Labaran listed priority areas for 2025, including reducing stigma, improving access to care, strengthening prevention, and protecting vulnerable groups.

He said the government had enacted an Anti-Stigma and Discrimination Law and expanded access to the Kano State Contributory Health Scheme for PLHIV.
According to him, other achievements recorded during the year include the provision of 24-hour solar power at the SACA office, the procurement of operational vehicles, the strengthening of data systems, and the launch of Nigeria’s first full-scale triple elimination programme for HIV, hepatitis and syphilis in six pilot facilities.

“This is the first initiative of its kind in the country, targeting pregnant women attending antenatal care,” he said.

He also announced the construction of a paediatric TB/HIV clinic at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, funded entirely by the state government. On service delivery, Labaran said the state conducted 607,720 HIV tests in 2025, identified 2,440 new cases and placed 2,388 people on treatment.
He said 37,825 people were currently receiving care in various health facilities.

The health commissioner also highlighted progress in preventing mother-to-child transmission, stating that 238,495 pregnant women were tested during their first antenatal visit, out of which only 34 tested positive. He said 31,277 children under 15 were tested, with 68 found positive and placed on treatment.

HIV

According to him, Kano conducted the highest number of early infant diagnosis tests in the country this year using the M-PIMA machine.
Mr Labaran reaffirmed the state’s commitment to achieving the goal of ending AIDS by 2030 and urged the residents to continue supporting people living with HIV and to help eliminate stigma.

The director-general of KSACA, Usman Bashir, said the event was organised to show solidarity with people living with HIV and remember those who had died.

“We are here to commemorate World AIDS Day and to show love to people living with HIV,” he said

UCH Resident Doctors Resume Work After Month-Long Nationwide Strike

UCH resident doctors resume work after month-long nationwide strike. Resident doctors at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, have resumed work after a month-long nationwide strike.

Resident doctors at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, have resumed work after a month-long nationwide strike.

The doctors had been on strike since November 1, following the directives of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors.
The NARD directed its members nationwide to embark on an indefinite strike, following the government’s failure to address their demands.
The association demands a 200 per cent increase in the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure and the full implementation of new allowances proposed since July 2022.

The doctors also demand immediate recruitment of clinical staff and the removal of bureaucratic bottlenecks that are delaying the replacement of exited doctors, among other demands.

The president of the UCH’s NARD, Gboyega Ajibola, said that the NARD National Executive Council met on November 29 to reappraise the situation. He noted that the government had met most of their immediate and short-term demands.

According to Mr Ajibola, a memorandum of understanding had been signed with the government, enumerating each of the association’s demands and the points of execution.
“Based on the satisfactory terms of the MoU, the NARD NEC decided to suspend the industrial action and give the government a period of four weeks to reappraise the efforts of the government as contained in the signed MoU.

Resident Doctors (NARD)

“Having suspended the strike on November 29, as in the tradition of NARD, each centre was mandated to hold a congress on December 1, for all centre presidents to brief their members on development.

“After the brief, the centre presidents will direct all members to resume at their duty posts. In compliance with this, a congress was held at 8:00 a.m. today (Monday), where members were updated and directed to resume work,” he said.
Mr Ajibola explained that all members resumed work on Monday.

Plateau Recorded 2,786 New HIV Infections In 2024

Plateau recorded 2,786 new HIV infections in 2024. Mr Ba’amlong noted that there had been progress in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

Plateau State Commissioner for Health, Nicholas Ba’amlong,  has said the state recorded 2,786 new cases of HIV infections and 460 related deaths in 2024.

Mr Ba’amlong disclosed this on Monday in Jos at an event to commemorate the 2025 World AIDS Day, marked globally on December 1, with the theme “Overcoming Disruption: Sustaining Nigeria’s HIV Response.”

He said that 51,370 persons were living with HIV in the state as of September 2025, comprising 14,001 males and 33,055 females.
He added that 47,056 adults and 1,835 children were currently receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART).
The commissioner explained that 98,403 persons were screened between January and September 2025, out of which 1,910 tested positive.
Mr Ba’amlong noted that there had been progress in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission, adding that 30,743 pregnant women were tested within the period, and 39 who tested positive had been linked to care.
He said the state had expanded HIV testing services to more than 900 health facilities and intensified awareness on prevention and treatment.
The commissioner called for stronger community engagement, improved access to healthcare, and increased investment in research and innovation to sustain progress against the disease.

He commended Governor Caleb Mutfwang for approving funds used to procure HIV dual test kits, which he said had been distributed to health facilities across the state.

Mr Ba’amlong also lauded development partners for supporting the delivery of quality healthcare services.
Similarly, the executive director of the Plateau AIDS Control Agency (PLACA), Esther Turaki, said the state had achieved a viral load suppression rate of 92 per cent as of June 2025.

Ms Turaki described the HIV Domestic Resource Mobilisation and Sustainability (DRMS) Strategy as a critical initiative aimed at standardising and scaling existing efforts while introducing innovative financing mechanisms.

Plateau

According to her, the strategy sets out a clear plan for mobilising new domestic resources by identifying funding sources, annual targets and key actions required for implementation.
She applauded Mr Mutfwang for his sustained support to the agency.

The keynote address was delivered by Chris Isichei, who urged governments to reduce reliance on donor funding and establish a dedicated HIV funding bank as external support continues to decline.

He also encouraged the Plateau State government to integrate HIV and AIDS treatment into the state’s health insurance scheme.