The Kano State House of Assembly has passed into law the state Health Trust Fund Bill (KHETFUND) which would guarantee sustainable financing of the health sector in the state.

Aminu Garba, the Coordinator and Founder of Community Health and Research Initiative (CHR), who disclosed this on Tuesday, said the bill will be funded through a monthly deduction of 5% tax revenues and one percent from the total statutory allocation to the 44 Local Government Areas of the state.

According to him, the Fund would generate over $7 million yearly adding that the passage of the bill was the first phase. “We will now shift our technical support and advocacy for the Executive Governor of Kano State Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to assent the law. Another series of engagements would follow with the State Ministry of Health in developing guidelines and ownership for its implementation and for its capturing in the 2018 budget process.”, he explained.

Let’s recall that the State government in March signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) valued at about $5.7 million with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Dangote Foundation to boost healthcare delivery in the state over the next five years.

Anita Fatunji