Kano State accounts for 30% of Nigeria’s tuberculosis cases, making it the state with the highest TB rate per capita in the world, according to the Kano Independent Research Centre Trust (KIRCT).
The centre’s Director-General, Professor Hamisu Salihu, revealed this during the signing of an MoU with the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC) in Kano.
He said Kano now has a full tuberculosis lab to match its disease burden, noting that most federal TB labs are based in Lagos and Zaria.
“If any state needs a TB lab, it’s Kano,” Salihu said. “We also built a Hausa-speaking chatbot to bridge the language gap between patients and doctors.”
He added that the centre can now conduct mammogram tests, a service that previously required travelling abroad.
PVAC’s national coordinator, Dr Abdu Mukhtar, commended the centre and said it will serve as a regional hub for clinical research.
