By Idibia Gabriel, Kaduna
Community leaders and health officials in Sabon Gari Ward and Kudendah Community, Kaduna, have expressed strong support for a door-to-door tobacco control and public health awareness campaign being implemented by the Njir Hoba Foundation in partnership with ward authorities.
Speaking during an interview, the Officer-in-Charge of Primary Health Care (PHC) in Sabon Gari Ward, Mrs Beatrice Weno, described the campaign as timely and impactful. She clarified that Azithromycin, though an effective antibiotic for certain illnesses, does not address the health damage caused by tobacco use, particularly tuberculosis (TB).
According to her, smoking weakens the body’s immune system and exposes individuals to life-threatening diseases. She added that the PHC facility routinely educates residents on the dangers of smoking and praised the house-to-house approach for its effectiveness in reaching families directly.
Mrs Weno also welcomed the anti-smoking posters distributed by the foundation and called for more educational materials to be made available in health centres.
Also speaking, the Focal Person of Sabon Gari Ward, Mallam Galadina Idris, explained that Azithromycin is not used in the treatment of tuberculosis or tobacco-related lung damage, stressing that TB is a serious disease that destroys lung cells and severely affects breathing.
He said the campaign aligns with ongoing efforts to protect young people from smoking, noting that Community Drug Dispensers (CDDs) leveraged routine drug administration to educate caregivers on the harmful effects of tobacco. Mallam Idris described the collaboration between the Njir Hoba Foundation, ward officials and CDDs as life-saving and urged them to sustain the initiative.
In his remarks, the Sarkin Sabon Gari Nasarawa in Chikun Local Government Area, Alhaji Khalid Idris, commended the foundation and the Community Drug Dispensers for their dedication to community health. He said the palace does not tolerate substance abuse among community leaders and remains committed to protecting the wellbeing of residents.
The traditional ruler further pledged the palace’s readiness to enforce government health guidelines when issued and encouraged the foundation to provide allowances to Community Drug Dispensers to sustain the door-to-door campaign.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Njir Hoba Foundation, Engr Umaru Hassan, said the initiative would be sustained and expanded to other wards and states in the country.
