The Kano State authorities has set a goal of vaccinating 3.9 million kids underneath the age of 5 in the course of the June 2025 Outbreak Response (OBR) marketing campaign.
Dr Nasir Mahmoud, Director-Normal of the Kano State Main Healthcare Administration Board, introduced this throughout a media dialogue on Thursday in Kano.
Mahmoud defined that the marketing campaign aligned with the nationwide technique to eradicate polio and preserve Nigeria’s polio-free certification.
He mentioned that the vaccination drive turned obligatory as a result of latest resurgence of the kind 2 poliovirus in components of the state.
In keeping with him, components equivalent to neighborhood resistance, poor information reporting, and insecurity have contributed to the virus’s re-emergence by hindering earlier immunization efforts.
“Ungogo Native Authorities Space recorded the best stage of non-compliance in the course of the Could 2025 marketing campaign.
“To enhance vaccination protection, native authorities areas are actually ranked month-to-month primarily based on efficiency,” he mentioned.
Mahmoud reaffirmed the state authorities’s dedication to eradicating polio by December 2025 and pledged to considerably scale back the maternal mortality price inside the similar timeframe, describing each objectives as high priorities.
He careworn the significance of collaboration with conventional rulers and the 44 native authorities chairmen to beat challenges.
Mr Rahma Mohammed, UNICEF Chief of Discipline Workplace in Kano, highlighted that surveillance carried out in 2025 detected the virus in Warawa, Bunkure, Kano Municipal, and Nasarawa Native Authorities Areas.
“That is unacceptable and should be halted. Polio stays a extremely infectious illness that spreads quickly and is aware of no borders,” he warned.
Name for stronger coordination and public consciousness
Mohammed emphasised that even a single case of polio anyplace posed a risk to kids in every single place and known as for coordinated efforts to comprise the outbreak.
He urged all ranges of presidency, conventional rulers, and the media to accentuate consciousness campaigns and guarantee full vaccination protection, particularly in high-risk areas.
The UNICEF official reaffirmed UNICEF’s dedication to supporting Nigeria’s polio eradication efforts and known as for the well timed launch of counterpart funding and stronger supervision of immunization campaigns.
He additionally urged the federal government to declare a public well being emergency and improve media engagement to counter misinformation concerning the vaccine.
Polio, or poliomyelitis, is a extremely infectious viral illness that primarily impacts kids underneath the age of 5.
Though it’s preventable by way of vaccination, polio continues to pose a major well being risk in areas with low immunization protection.
The illness is brought on by the poliovirus, which spreads primarily by way of the fecal-oral route, sometimes from contaminated water or meals and, much less generally, by way of respiratory droplets.
Most individuals who turn out to be contaminated (about 70 to 90%) don’t present any signs, making it tougher to detect and management in affected communities.
