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By Tracy Moses
The Bauchi State Government, with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other development partners, has commenced a statewide polio immunisation campaign scheduled to run from April 24th to 30th, 2025.
The exercise, which targets children under the age of five, places special emphasis on reaching “zero doses” for those who have never received any form of immunisation.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held in Tirwun community, Bauchi Local Government Area, on Thursday, the Executive Chairman of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, disclosed that the state has received 2.5 million doses of the Novel Oral Polio Vaccine (NOPV) for the campaign.
He added that 160 monitors, including members of civil society organizations, have been engaged to oversee the smooth rollout of the vaccination.
Dr. Mohammed revealed that alongside the Commissioner for Health, the Emir of Dass, and UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office in Bauchi, he would personally lead monitoring exercises in Bauchi, Ganjuwa, and Ningi LGAs, areas with significant numbers of zero-dose children.
“This time, we are taking the campaign seriously. We will be moving with security personnel including DSS and police in armored vehicles. Vaccination will be compulsory, and any act of resistance will lead to arrest,” he stated.
Highlighting the state’s challenge, he noted that 13 out of Bauchi’s 20 LGAs still have zero-dose cases. “We’ve made significant progress with support from UNICEF, WHO, and a counterpart funding of N8.8 million from the state government for this campaign and related mobilization activities,” he said.
Also addressing the gathering, UNICEF’s Social Behaviour Change Specialist, Eki George, who represented the Chief of Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to ensuring that every child is vaccinated.
“The fight against polio is far from over. Having 13 LGAs still recording zero-dose children calls for greater commitment from parents, especially fathers, to grant consent for their children’s immunization,” he said.
Mr. George noted that with more partners on board this year, compliance is expected to increase. He urged community leaders to play active roles in ensuring acceptance of the vaccine across all settlements.
“The goal is to reach every child, no matter how remote the location. Communities must support this campaign to eliminate all forms of resistance,” he added.
In his remarks, the District Head of Tirwun, Alhaji Muhammad Tirwun, commended UNICEF and other stakeholders for backing the state in its health interventions. He appealed to traditional leaders across Bauchi to support monitoring teams and ensure that every child is vaccinated.
He also refuted claims that the vaccine was a tool to reduce population growth, stressing that its true purpose is to protect children from life-threatening diseases.
Alhaji Tirwun directed field health workers to report any resistance to him or other local leaders, assuring that they would intervene to facilitate full coverage of the campaign.