Over 1.2 million people in Kano State are living with Hepatitis B, according to the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran Yusuf. Speaking at a press briefing to mark World Hepatitis Day 2025, he described the situation as alarming but preventable.
To tackle the disease, the state has launched a N95 million programme—HepFree Mothers, Healthy Babies—to prevent mother-to-child transmission. The initiative offers free screening and treatment for pregnant women and birth-dose vaccines for newborns.
Dr. Yusuf said Kano is the first Nigerian state to fund such an initiative, aligning with the national and global goal of eliminating hepatitis by 2030. Plans are also underway to expand the programme with an additional N135 million.
He called on partners and the media to support awareness efforts, noting that most infections in Nigeria happen at birth and are preventable.
