Kano Opens Sickle Cell Centre and New Health Facilities

(Governor Abba Yusuf while launching the Sickle cell centre. PHOTO CREDIT: Punch News)

On Monday, Abba Yusuf, the governor of Kano State, presented a new office facility for the Kano State Center for Disease Control and opened a sickle cell center to offer comprehensive care to those with sickle cell disease.

Additionally, the governor announced the distribution of 300 personalized digital blood pressure monitors to political appointees and public employees.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf also opened the symbolic distribution of free maternal and Accident and Emergency commodities, as well as new hospital bed sheets, at the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital in Kano.

Speaking during the inauguration, Yusuf explained that the newly established Sickle Cell Centre was designed to offer free diagnosis, counselling, treatment, follow-up care, patient education, health promotion and specialised management of sickle cell disease all under one roof.

He said the centre would provide comprehensive care for people living with the condition, and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensuring patients receive the medicines and support needed to improve their wellbeing.

The governor also inaugurated the newly constructed office complex of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control, describing it as a major step towards strengthening the state’s disease surveillance and emergency response capacity.

He said the facility would boost the state’s ability to prevent, detect and respond promptly to epidemic-prone diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and meningitis, expressing delight at commissioning the centre and praying that it would be put to good use for the benefit of Kano residents.

He also commended development partners for their role in establishing the facility.

Yusuf noted that the distribution of 300 customised digital blood pressure monitors was informed by growing concern over sudden deaths linked to hypertension among public officials, explaining that the devices were procured to encourage regular health checks among public servants and political appointees, with the aim of preventing avoidable hypertension-related deaths through early detection and monitoring.

He further reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to sustaining the free maternal and Accident and Emergency commodities programme, noting that it had already saved thousands of lives across the state, and commended the Commissioner for Health, the Hospital Management Board, healthcare workers, traditional rulers and development partners for their contributions to improving healthcare delivery in Kano.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Yusuf, said the administration had made substantial investments in the health sector since coming into office, noting that the newly commissioned disease control centre was conceived, built and inaugurated under the current administration to strengthen disease prevention and emergency response across the state’s 44 local government areas.

He disclosed that maternal mortality had dropped significantly, from over 1,300 recorded cases in 2023 to about 300 in 2026, reflecting the impact of the government’s health interventions, and expressed appreciation to the governor for his continued support.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Hospital Management Board, Dr Mansur Nagoda, described the governor’s intervention as a major boost to healthcare delivery in Kano, saying it would benefit thousands of residents.

He said the administration had transformed the health sector to an unprecedented level through sustained investment in healthcare infrastructure, equipment and essential services.

The inauguration forms part of the Kano State Government’s ongoing efforts to strengthen healthcare services through improved access to specialised treatment, disease surveillance, maternal healthcare and preventive medical interventions.