Kano, UNICEF Train Health Workers On Child Pneumonia Management

The Kano State Government has trained 45 health workers on how best to manage pneumonia in children below the age of five.

According to the Director, Health Services, Kano State Ministry of Health, Dr Shehu Abdullahi, on Saturday at the closing ceremony of the capacity building training in Kano, the training was a collaboration with The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

He said that the training resulted from a baseline survey, which showed that many of the health workers lacked ability to manage the killer disease.

Abdullahi, who is also the Chairman, Kano Oxygen Desk Committee, said the participants were drawn across 16 tertiary and high volume secondary facilities in the state.

“The training is very important for Kano and the country in view of the threat posed by pneumonia, which caused a high morbidity and mortality amongst children.

“We have developed an algorithm for the trained personnel to effectively manage all cases of pneumonia at various levels,” the director said.

He said that before the advent of COVID-19, most countries did not take cognisance of oxygen plants and so in Nigeria there was also shortage of it.

“But now in Kano, we have three plants, one in Dala Orthopaedic Hospital, one in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and one is yet to be completed at Muhammadu Buhari Specialist Hospital,” Abdullahi revealed.

Speaking also, a Health Specialist, UNICEF Field Office Kano, Dr Shudat Basher, charged the participants to step down the knowledge to their colleagues.

Shudat pledged continuous support and monitoring of the beneficiaries by UNICEF and the state government to ensure success at facilities.