The Society for Family Health (SFH) has handed over its integratE project to the Kano State government after training community pharmacists and patent and proprietary medicine vendors (PPMVs).

The project aims to provide essential healthcare services beyond the project implementation period.

Dayyabu Mahmoud-Yusuf, the SFH group director for Impact, Partnership and Engagement, said this at the project’s dissemination and closing ceremony in Kano on Monday.

He said the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded the project, which was implemented in collaboration with other sister agencies to strengthen the capacity of community healthcare providers and improve access to quality services.

“More than 500,000 women and children under five had access to care through trained providers.

“The project has also mapped more than 6,500 patent medicine vendors across the state,” the director said.

He further explained that the SFH project was designed to establish a sustainable system that would continue to provide healthcare services beyond its implementation period.

Mr Mahmoud-Yusuf urged the state government to sustain and expand the training to cover more community providers.

In his remarks, the State Commissioner for Health, Abubakar Labaran-Yusuf, commended SFH and its partners for supporting healthcare delivery in the state.

He said the government would build on the gains recorded and ensure the continued utilisation of the trained personnel.

Mr Labaran-Yusuf urged stakeholders to sustain the initiative and ensure that trained providers continue to offer quality services within their approved scope.

He also commended the trained providers, frontline health workers, local government authorities, community leaders and other stakeholders for their contributions to the success of the project.

“This government remains committed to improving access to quality, equitable and people-centred healthcare services across the state,” he said.

(NAN)