Sunusi Adamu at the MDR Ward in Kano

The story of SANUSI ADAMU

The PMV (Patent medicine vendor) intervention under KNCV in Kano has been a huge success.

The use of informal private sector PMV was launched in the month of August in Kano. We engaged 150 PMVs across 5 LGAs, most of them are well-known community stalwarts when it comes to the provision of semi-formal health service.

 

The story of Sunusi Adamu who was diagnosed with TB from a visit to Habibu Ya’u Moh’d chemist shop (A PMV Vendor) located in Layin Fango Brigade Gawuna Area in Kano state, showcases the effectiveness of PPM (Public private mix) intervention in communities.

Sunusi Adamu, a 45-year-old family man who works as a Shoe Shiner in Nasarawa LGA, Kano had been coughing and feverish for over two months, he tried curing himself with traditional medicines which proved to be futile coupled with the fact that he is skeptical of hospitals and modern medicine.

He spent so much money on herbs, all in the bid to cure the debilitating cough.

His wife was so worried that she visited her friend who works with Habibu Ya’u Moh’d, a chemist and vendor, she told them the symptoms her husband had been experiencing, and his refusal to go to the hospital for testing. Habibu who had been trained by a popular TB specialist named Ali DOT in Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital in Kano. And also, by the KNCV team led by Dr. Mamman Bajehson.

He knew what the symptoms could mean for Sunusi and his family. He gave Sunusi’s wife a sputum cup to collect his sample at home, he demonstrated the process while teaching her the safest way to collect the sample. she did so and returned to the chemist shop.

 

The sample was sent to a Genexpert Lab for further testing, unfortunately, Habibu’s fears were confirmed, Sunusi tested positive for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis with Rifampicin resistance (Drug resistance TB Case).

He was immediately linked with the Nasarawa Local Government Tuberculosis and Leprosy Supervisor, who brought him in for baseline investigation which is the routine for all DRTB cases diagnosed.

 

Fortunately, the outcome for the routine contact investigation of all his household contacts (wife and 8 children) was negative for TB

 

He has been enrolled for treatment at the Multi Drug Resistant TB treatment center at the infectious disease hospital Kano. He is in his third month of treatment, responding well and ironically is the ward monitor for the cohort on admission and has been very helpful to the facility healthcare workers in coordinating other patients.

 

” I am still on admission, this is my third  month, I am feeling much better, I have no side effects to the drugs, I am grateful to my wife and the Chemist who encouraged me to go to the hospital for treatment” Sunusi says.

 

Habibu Ya’u Muhammed in his chemist shop in Kano