Kano has achieved significant strides in health security — NHED

The Network for Health Equity and Development (NHED), has said that Kano State has made significant strides by being the first state in the country to adopt and domesticate health security and accountability aimed at having funds on the ground to confront an emergency breakout of epidemic.

This was just as the body stressed the need for the media to track health financing allocations and expenditures to ensure greater transparency and accountability.

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Making this known, project technical adviser and director of the NHED, Dr Jerom Mafeni, said, “We were here in Kano with the state government on finalising the health security finalisation and accountability.

“This will help Kano strengthen health security preparedness. The major benefits is that whenever there is a epidemic,like outbreak of meanigjtiese or cholera, the state would not be caught unaware financially to confront with money.

“This indicated that the state has in place immediate system to respond to limit the number of lives that could have lost to such an epidemic.

“In adopting this framework, Kano state indeed been the first state not only to adopting this framework, but also domesticated the framework within the state.”

As well as passing the health security bill and establishing the agencies look after the epidemic and preparedness to confront it headlong and solve the problem.

According to NHED, such strides include the passage of the public health security bill and the government’s formal adoption of the Health Security Financing Accountability Framework (HSFAF).

According to him, the media has a role to play in scrutinising public funds, track spending and ensure transparency in order to avoid mismanagement and ensure that the funds serve the purpose intended

“Health security is not just a government responsibility it is a public good.

“We urge you to track the implementation of this framework, spotlight both progress and bottlenecks, and keep the spotlight on health security financing – not only in emergencies, but every day.

“The HSFAF provided a structure to follow the money, track spending and support transparency,” he said

Mafeni, commended Kano state Government for the passage of the public health security bill and the government’s formal adoption of the HSFAF.

Meanwhile, in a statement by NHED’s Communication Lead, Tessy Nongo Maina, said the Network made the submission during a media briefing in partnership with civil society stakeholders held in Kano on Wednesday to spotlight the importance of accountability in health security financing in Kano State.

She then described the strides as critical first steps toward building a system that ensures readiness in the face of health emergencies.

“However, progress cannot stop at policy adoption. Implementation requires resources, monitoring and public engagement. This is where the media has a vital role to play.

“NHED is calling on journalists to go beyond one-time event reporting to ask tough questions, track funding flows, and bring attention to both gaps and achievements in epidemic preparedness.

“Health security is not just a government responsibility it is a public good. Journalists must help keep this issue on the agenda by telling data-driven, human-centered stories that make health security financing relevant to everyday citizens.

“The HSFAF provides a structure to follow the money, track spending, and support transparency. But without data and public oversight, it risks remaining on paper,” the statement said.

NHED called for continued collaboration with the media to ensure that “these tools are fully operational and impactful.”

“We cannot afford to be reactive in the face of health threats. The systems we build now -including systems of accountability will determine how we respond.

“The media is not a bystander in this process. You are essential partners in building public trust and strengthening preparedness.

“We invite all members of the press to take up this challenge and keep health security in focus, not just today, but consistently, as we work to protect lives and build resilient systems in Kano State,” the statement added.

Tessy Nongo said the media are critical and essential partners in building public trust and strengthening preparedness for epidemic and health threats.

While the representative of the Kano State Civil Society Forum, Salisu Yusuf called on the government to publish it performance on quarterly basis to enable the residents to track and know if the public funds is really meeting their yearnings.

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