KDSG to partner UNICEF on fight against HIV

From Muhammad Ibrahim, Kaduna

Kaduna state Government is to partner the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) on the fight against HIV especially in enhancing Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission Care (PMCTC).

Speaking on Monday, when he received a delegation of the Kaduna UNICEF Field Office, Governor Mukhtar Ramalan Yero directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the state to key into relevant UNICEF programmes for the purpose of improving health care and sanitation in the state.

According to him, “We want people to properly key into all programmes of the UNICEF so that they can have a full benefit of the investments being made by the United Nations through the agency.

Governor Yero assured the UNICEF of his administration’s readiness to continue to collaborate with the agency especially in the critical health areas of child and maternal health, water and sanitation, PMCTC and polio eradication.

In his speech earlier, Head of the Kaduna Filed Office of the UNICEF, Mr. Otpal Moitra congratulated Governor Yero for ensuring a polio-free state in the last sixteen months.

He also expressed appreciation on the efforts of the wife of the Governor, Hajiya Fatima Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, towards providing the much needed leadership in the fight against mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Mr. Moitra called for closer collaboration between the state government and the UNICEF towards providing better healthcare delivery especially for women and children saying “UNICEF is ready to move the collaboration forward by ensuring measurable achievements.”

He said UNICEF is also ready to assist Kaduna state government in developing a convergence strategy in its healthcare system, as part of its plans for 2014-2017 programmes of action in the state.