{
  "id": 13833559,
  "title": "World Mental Health Day: Plan International Donates Drugs Worth N80m to Sokoto Govt",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/world-mental-health-day-plan-international-donates-drugs-worth-n80m",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-12T00:18:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/10/12/world-mental-health-day-plan-international-donates-drugs-worth-n80m-to-sokoto-govt/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On World Mental Health Day, Plan International Nigeria has donated an array of health commodities worth more than N80 million to the Sokoto State Government. The gesture aims to bolster mental and adolescent health services in the state. Dr. Charles Usie, the Country Director of Plan International Nigeria, presented the donation at the Doctor’s House, Old Airport, Sokoto, under the Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health in Nigeria (ASPIRE) project. This multi-sectoral initiative, funded by Global Affairs Canada, targets adolescent girls and young women in Bauchi and Sokoto States, addressing interconnected barriers related to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), gender equality, and mental health.\n\nThe donated items include essential family planning commodities, such as Depot Medroxyprogesterone Acetate (DMPA) in both SC and IM forms, Microgynon pills, Gold Circle condoms, and various antibiotics like Doxycycline, Ciprofloxacin, Levofloxacin, Metronidazole, Azithromycin. Additionally, psychotropic medications such as mood stabilizers (Carbamazepine and Sodium Valproate), antidepressants (Amitriptyline, Fluoxetine, Escitalopram, and Sertraline), and antipsychotics (Haloperidol, Risperidone, Olanzapine, Trifluoperazine, and Chlorpromazine) were included. These supplies will be integrated into the existing government storage, distribution, and monitoring systems.\n\nUsie emphasized that this initiative not only strengthens access to essential health services but also reinforces government ownership and continuity of care beyond the project's lifespan. The donation complements the government's SMART Agenda, which prioritizes accessible and affordable healthcare for all residents in Sokoto State. Dr. Faruk Abubakar Wurno, the Commissioner for Health in Sokoto State, thanked Plan International for the generous gesture, highlighting its support for the administration's health priorities. Dr. Abubakar Baguda, the Medical Director of the Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Kware, Sokoto, and Dr. Zubairu Umar, the Head of Clinical Services, urged the public to destigmatize mental health issues and encouraged early medical intervention. The event drew representatives from various government agencies, health institutions, and community leaders, emphasizing the collective effort to enhance mental health services in the region.",
  "summary": "Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto Plan International Nigeria has donated family planning commodities, STI drugs and psychotropic medications worth over N80 million to the Sokoto State Government to strengthen mental and",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}