Kaduna State Enhances Mental Health Services Access

During the 2026 World Mental Health Day celebration at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Barnawa, Kaduna, Governor Sani, represented by Commissioner for Health Hajiya Umma Ahmad, announced the expansion of mental healthcare access across the state. The state has trained and certified 100 doctors, nurses, and pharmacists from 10 general hospitals under the World Health Organization’s Mental Health Gap Action Programme (mhGAP).

Mental health screening is now part of routine maternal and child health services, with plans to extend these services to all 30 general hospitals and primary healthcare facilities in the 23 local government areas. The initiative aims to provide accessible, evidence-based, and rights-focused mental healthcare while enhancing collaboration between federal and state health institutions.

Governor Sani praised Professor Aishatu Yusha’u Armiya’u, the Medical Director of the hospital, for her contributions and highlighted the launch of a telepsychiatry program to assist patients in remote areas. Professor Armiya’u emphasized the importance of collective responsibility in promoting mental health and commended the enactment of the Kaduna State Mental Health Law in September 2025.