By Maikudi Muhammad Marafa
The Kano State Government has approved the immediate suspension of all activities under the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) Programme across the state as part of its unwavering commitment to transparency, accountability, and effective healthcare service delivery..
The decision followed the constitution of a high-powered investigative committee to undertake a comprehensive review of the planning, distribution, personnel engagement, documentation, and overall implementation of the programme.
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According to a directive issued by the Kano State Ministry of Health, the suspension takes immediate effect and will remain in force pending the outcome of the committee’s investigation. Consequently, all field operations, medicine distribution, community mobilisation, and other programme-related activities have been put on hold.
As part of the measures taken to ensure a transparent review process, the Programme Manager has been suspended from official duties, while the programme’s responsibilities have been temporarily assigned to the most senior officer within the unit to ensure administrative continuity.
The investigative committee is chaired by the Director General of the State AIDS Control Agency (SACA), Dr. Usman Bashir, and comprises the Director General of the State Primary Healthcare Management Board (SPHCMB), Prof. Salisu Ahmad Ibrahim; Director General of the Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency (DMCSA), Pharm. Ghali Sule; Executive Secretary of the Hospitals Management Board (HMB), Dr. Mansur Mudi Nagoda; Director General of the Kano Centre for Disease Control (KNCDC), Prof. Muhammad A. Abbas; Executive Secretary of the Kano Health Trust Fund (KHETFUND), Dr. Fatima Usman Zahradden; Executive Secretary of the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA), Dr. Rahila A. Mukhtar; Acting Director General of the Private Health Institutions Management Agency (PHIMA), Khadijah Hussein Said; while the Director of Administration and General Services (DAGS), Ministry of Health, Nazeer Tanko Kyaure, will serve as Secretary of the committee.
The Ministry has further directed the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, implementing partners, and all relevant stakeholders to report to the Ministry’s Headquarters with approved work plans, distribution records, personnel lists, and all other relevant programme documents for verification and assessment.
The Kano State Government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that all public health interventions are implemented in line with the highest standards of transparency, efficiency, and accountability. It assured development partners, healthcare workers, and the general public that the review is intended to strengthen programme implementation and enhance service delivery for the benefit of the people of Kano State.
The Government therefore called on all stakeholders to cooperate fully with the committee as it carries out its assignment in the overall interest of safeguarding public confidence and improving healthcare delivery across the state.
