Kaduna State Integrates Mental Health into Healthcare System

Governor Uba Sani announced that Kaduna State is the only sub-national entity in Nigeria to have integrated mental health into its primary and secondary health systems during the 2026 World Mental Health Day at the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital in Barnawa. Represented by the Commissioner of Health, Hajiya Umma K Ahmad, the Governor revealed that the first cohort of 100 healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, has been certified under the World Health Organization’s mhGAP programme.

Mental health screening is now incorporated into maternal and child health services across all 30 General Hospitals and primary health care facilities in all 23 Local Government Areas. The Governor emphasized that this model of care is human rights-focused, evidence-based, and decentralized.

He commended Professor Aishatu Yusha’u Armiya’u, the Medical Director of the Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, for her leadership and the hospital's new Telepsychiatry Programme, which enhances access to mental health care for rural communities.