As the polio immunisation campaign kicks off tomorrow (Sunday), Kaduna State has announced plans to vaccinate no fewer than 2.5 million children.
During a media dialogue with journalists, Alhaji Isiah Yushau, Health Education Officer at the Kaduna State Primary Healthcare Board, revealed that the campaign will run for four days across the state’s 23 local government areas.
Yushau explained that the vaccination initiative will target children aged 0 to 59 months in over 28,000 settlements throughout Kaduna State. He emphasised that the goal of the campaign is to vaccinate at least 2.5 million children, with the overarching objective of eradicating polio and making the state polio-free.
“Even in areas we feel has security threats, we have adopted measures to ensure that no child is left behind, saying there are adequate vaccines, personnel, and logistics to reach every crannies of the state.
He explained that the campaign was part of a broader national effort involving 14 states, including Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Niger, Yobe, Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa State, Kwara, and Nasarawa, where enumeration exercises are ongoing to generate accurate data for planning and intervention.
“The enumeration process captured households, women of reproductive age, pregnant women, and children under five to strengthen data-driven decision-making in healthcare delivery, he stressed.
He noted that initial records showed over 7,000 cases of refusal, which were later reduced to about 1,000 following intensified community engagement and awareness campaigns.
“More than 70 to 80 percent of refusals have been resolved, but our goal is to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated,” he said.
He added that new strategies and innovations have been introduced, including enhanced community sensitisation and media engagement, to improve acceptance and reach children in hard-to-access areas.
Yushau urged parents and caregivers to present their children for vaccination, stressing that the benefits of immunisation far outweigh the risks of non-compliance, particularly in the fight against poliomyelitis.
The campaign would run from March 29 to April 3, with health officials expressing optimism that improved strategies would further reduce missed children and boost immunity levels across the state.