By Mohammed Abubakar Dutse
As Nigeria joins the global community to mark the UN declared World Immunization Week (WIW) this week, the United Nations’ Children’s Fund, (UNICEF) has assured that it would collaborate with the Jigawa state government to end scourge of polio before the end of the year through the intensification of routine immunization.
Rahma Rihood Mohammed Farah , the Chief of UNICEF’s Field Office in Kano, disclosed this at a Media Dialogue on Polio and Routine Immunization held in Dutse, the state capital over the weekend.
Represented by Dr Serekeberehan Seyoum Health Manager, UNICEF Kano Field Office said the dialogue was to solicit the support of the media in raising awareness and mobilizing parents, caregivers, communities, stakeholders, the public and everyone about the Polio Vaccination Campaign which Nigeria, scheduled for April 24-30.
He added said the campaign also coincides with the World Immunization Week (WIW) scheduled for the same period.
According to him, “Polio is a highly infectious disease with potentially deadly consequences for young children. It has been the leading cause of paralysis among children and can cause death”
He called on parents and other stakeholders to make sure all children have been vaccinated against the dream killer, noting that while the state had taken steps in the past to eradicate wild polio the routine immunization must be intensified to ensure that the state be declared polio-free before the year ends.
He urged the media to deploy their various channels to share information about the polio vaccination campaign and mobilize parents and caregivers to bring out their children massively for vaccination during the campaign.
Shehu Ibrahim Programme, Manager State Emergency Routine Immunization Coordination Centre, (SERICC) said in Jigawa, a total of 1.9m was targeted for the polio immunisation exercise.
According to him ”In February 2025, immunisation exercise a total of seven children were missed in Garki, Kaugama and Maigatari Local Government area ”
He said the state government has introduced various measures to ensure no single child is left behind during the upcoming immunisation campaign.
He noted that immunisation teams would be deployed to markets and boarders to ensure full coverage and to ensure no zero child is recorded.
Ibrahim noted that the upcoming campaign would witness new innovations to ensure no child is left unvaccinated.
“We have developed a strategy by engaging multiple stakeholders, including 12,000 Community Health Ambassadors, religious leaders, political leaders, and others, to ensure the campaign’s success,” he said.
He maintained that the meeting was aimed at updating journalists on campaign preparations and their expected contributions toward achieving the desired goals.
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