The Kaduna State Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (KADSAMHSA) says it will institutionalise community-based outreach programmes to reduce incidences of HIV and hepatitis among women who use drugs.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr Joseph Ike, disclosed this on Wednesday at the opening of a three-day 2026 Linking and Learning Meeting themed “Beyond Outreach: Sustaining Harm Reduction in a Shifting Funding Landscape.”
Ike noted that women who use drugs are often considered a hard-to-reach population, particularly in Northern Nigeria, due to prevailing social and cultural factors.
He said available estimates from the UNODC and Federal Ministry of Health 2020 survey indicate that about one in four drug users is a woman.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting, organised in collaboration with the Society for Family Health (SFH), brought together stakeholders from Gombe, Abia, Oyo and Kaduna states.
According to Ike, Kaduna is the first and only jurisdiction in Sub-Saharan Africa to design and implement a comprehensive Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI) programme in partnership with the UNODC.
2026 UTME: Police dismiss threat rumours, vow to prosecute exam disruptors
He said the meeting was aimed at facilitating structured government-to-government learning, enabling state actors to share and validate implementation experiences, best practices, and lessons learned.
“It will also align stakeholders on practical approaches to improving HIV and hepatitis treatment linkages, increase uptake of Needle and Syringe Programmes (NSP), and identify opportunities to integrate complementary services within existing delivery platforms.
“The meeting seeks to reinforce institutional ownership of harm reduction programmes within the state health system and advocate for sustainable financing.
“It will further develop an evidence-based advocacy brief with policy recommendations to address service delivery bottlenecks affecting women who use drugs,” he said.
In her keynote address, the Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Kaltum-Ahmed, said addressing the needs of women who use drugs is both a moral obligation and a public health imperative.
She noted that the meeting’s theme was timely, given the global decline in donor funding for health interventions.
“This reality demands a shift in mindset. Harm reduction must no longer be seen as a donor-driven initiative but be fully institutionalised within our health systems.
“Our focus must be on sustainability by embedding services such as NSPs, treatment linkages and drop-in centres into government frameworks, supported by domestic financing and strong policy commitment,” she said.
Kaltum-Ahmed emphasised that sustainability goes beyond funding and requires stronger collaboration across sectors.
She described the state’s “Team Health” approach as a move away from fragmented operations towards a coordinated, system-wide response.
She commended the partnership between KADSAMHSA and SFH, noting that it reflects the impact of effective collaboration between government and civil society.
The commissioner highlighted that women who use drugs face multiple vulnerabilities, including stigma, gender-based violence, and economic hardship, which limit their access to healthcare.
“Many avoid conventional health services due to fear of discrimination, arrest or social consequences, leaving them underserved and largely invisible.
“Ignoring this population undermines efforts to control HIV and hepatitis transmission,” she said.
She added that Kaduna State is aligning with the Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) by promoting coordinated planning, pooled resources and shared accountability across sectors, including law enforcement and social services.
According to her, integrating harm reduction into broader systems enhances service delivery and ensures sustainability even with limited resources.
Kaltum-Ahmed urged participating states to adapt Kaduna’s model to their contexts while maintaining the principle of collaboration.
She also assured women who use drugs of the government’s commitment to protecting their health and dignity.
“We acknowledge your struggles, respect your resilience, and remain committed to ensuring that you are served without judgment or exclusion,” she said.
Some of the stakeholders who spoke in their good will messages, appreciated SFH for the efforts made to reduce hepatitis especially in women with HIV.
They said the health challenges faced transcend state boundaries, and so must the solutions.
(NAN)
Stay ahead with the latest updates! Join The ConclaveNG on WhatsApp and Telegram for real-time news alerts, breaking stories, and exclusive content delivered straight to your phone. Don’t miss a headline — subscribe now!
 says it will institutionalise){kind=link}