The Kano state government in collaboration with United Kingdom Government’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), Lafiya programme has planned to developed a cohesive and actionable plan that will integrates climate resilience into health policies and practices.
The development was part of the state government’s commitment to enhancing climate resilience within its public health system.
Faruk Isa Musa, the public relations officer of Drugs Management and Cunsumable Supply Agency (DMCSA) disclosed this in a statement sent to GLOBAL TRACKER.
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According to the statement, this was the resolution reached at a workshop organized by the state government with the aim of developing a Kano Health State Adaptation Plan (H-SAP).
Declaring the workshop open, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health Pharm. Aminu Bashir, who represented the Commissioner Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf emphasized the importance of action:
“This plan demonstrates the commitment of Kano State government through the Ministry of Health to safeguarding health through proactive, science-based strategies.
“It would also strive to address the health impacts of rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and changing disease patterns,” Pharm. Bashir asserted.
He further noted that the plan focuses on some priority areas, namely, the health system strengthening, including climate-resilient infrastructure and supply chains; the surveillance and monitoring of climate-sensitive diseases like malaria; and emergency preparedness for climate-related disasters.
Other areas, according to the Permanent Secretary, are research and capacity building on climate-health linkages and cross-sectoral coordination with agriculture, environment, and disaster management agencies.
Earlier, the State Team Lead of the FCDO Lafiya Programme, Abdulkadir Salisu Kabara conveyed the goodwill and best of Lafiya Programme to the workshop and commended the State for convening to develop their context-specific H-SAP that responds to the vulnerability assessment findings on climate and health. This effort will further contribute to HOPE PHC DLI 1.1, DLI1.2, and DLI 10
According to him, the Climate Change Focal Person Ministry of Health, the objectives of the workshop are:
Present the recommended adaptations from the Health National Adaptation Plan
Facilitate discussion and capture inputs on the HNAP priority recommendations interventions, actions, and strategies for state adaptation
Agree on the priority interventions, actions, and strategies that will be taken forward in the adaptation of the HNAP,
And lastly, produce a draft Health State Adaptation plan (HSAP).