NGO trains health workers, launches tree-planting campaign for climate resilience in Kano
A nongovernmental organisation (NGO), Climate Resilience Action Group (CRAG), with support from the Kano Independent Research Centre Trust (KIRCT), has trained frontline health workers and sensitized students in Doka community, Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State, as part of a climate change and health awareness programme aimed at strengthening climate resilience in the state.
The programme, held at Doka Modern Primary Health Care Centre and Government Girls Arabic Secondary School Doka, on Tuesday, also featured a tree-planting campaign and community engagement with traditional leaders.
Speaking during the training, the team lead of CRAG, Dr Bashir Isa Waziri, said the initiative, titled “Strengthening Frontline Workers for Climate Resilience in Kano,” was designed to improve preparedness and response to climate-related health challenges.
He explained that the programme focused on extreme heat and health, climate-related spread of infectious diseases, maternal and mental health, as well as broader climate resilience and adaptation strategies.
“We are here to enlighten frontline workers on climate and health risks, especially extreme heat exposure, and how it affects the human body,” he said.
Dr. Waziri said the training was aimed at helping health workers identify and manage conditions such as heat stress, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, while also strengthening early response systems within communities.
He added that the initiative promotes public awareness on vulnerable groups, including pregnant women and people living with chronic illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.
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According to him, Kano has recently recorded temperatures as high as 42 to 43 degrees Celsius, stressing the urgent need for climate-health preparedness.
The pilot project, he said, covers six primary healthcare facilities across Kano North, Kano Central and Kano South senatorial districts, targeting between 15 and 20 frontline health workers per facility.
At Doka Girls Secondary School, students were sensitised on safety measures during heat waves, including frequent water intake, wearing light clothing, eating fruits and vegetables, and avoiding prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
The organisation also launched a tree-planting campaign at the school by planting 20 trees and appointing student climate ambassadors responsible for nurturing them.
“We are not just planting trees; we are assigning ambassadors who will take care of them, and there will be awards for students and schools that maintain the trees properly,” Dr. Waziri added.
One of the facilitators, Dr. Aisha Adam Abdullahi, spoke on the link between climate change and infectious diseases.
She explained that flooding and other climate-related events contribute to overcrowding, poor sanitation and the spread of diseases such as cholera.
“Flooding comes with displacement of people, and overcrowding makes infectious diseases spread more easily because people lack access to healthcare and basic necessities,” she said.
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Dr. Abdullahi identified malaria, measles and meningitis as some of the common diseases associated with seasonal weather changes in the region.
A participant from Doka Primary Health Care Centre, Nura Mustapha Abdullahi, described the training as impactful, saying it had equipped health workers with knowledge that would help them address climate-related health challenges in their communities.
Commenting on the initiative, the village head of Doka community, Alhaji Mustapha Mansur, commended the organisation for selecting the community and pledged the support of traditional institutions toward the success of the programme.
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