Kaduna Launches KD-CHAMPS Mental Health Initiative

The Kaduna State government has officially launched the KD-CHAMPS programme, a comprehensive school-based mental health initiative aimed at addressing mental health challenges and substance abuse among children and adolescents. This initiative, driven by Governor Uba Sani's vision, focuses on early intervention targeting children from early childhood to adolescence, replacing traditional awareness campaigns with an evidence-based system designed to build resilience and equip young people with life skills.

The programme will be implemented in partnership with the Kaduna State University and the Basic Education Board, covering 23 local government areas. In its current phase, KD-CHAMPS will roll out across 253 schools, including public and private institutions, training 2,000 educators to provide frontline mental health support.

The initiative aims to reach 200,000 children and adolescents, significantly improving access to early intervention services and reducing the counselor-to-student ratio from 1:5000 to 1:250. Joseph O.

Ik, the Director General of the Kaduna State Mental Health and Substance Abuse Agency, emphasized the importance of building a lasting system of professional support within schools.