Kano to vaccinate 4.1m children under five amid fresh polio outbreak

The Kano State Government has announced plans to vaccinate 4.1 million children under the age of five during the next round of its polio immunization campaign, scheduled for April 24 to 30, 2025.

The announcement was made on Tuesday at a Media Dialogue on Polio and Routine Immunization, organized by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Kano State Primary Health Care Management Board, ahead of this year’s World Immunization Week.

The campaign comes at a time when the state is grappling with three confirmed cases of circulating Vaccine-Derived Poliovirus Type 2 (cVPV2) in Warawa, Bunkure, and Nassarawa LGAs, areas that were previously declared polio-free.

UNICEF also appealed to the Kano State Government and all stakeholders to ensure that no child is left unvaccinated.

Mr. Michael Banda, Senior Education Manager and Officer-in-Charge of the UNICEF Field Office in Kano revealed that despite Kano concerted efforts, the state did not reach every child.

“There are some pockets of children who were not immunized, and because of that, it creates a risk for many others.”

Banda, who represented the Chief of Field Office, Mr. Rahma Rihood Mohammed Farah, stressed the urgency of addressing the resurgence through collective action and grassroots collaboration.

“What we are seeing is a remnant of polio, which should have ended by now. What we must do going forward is ensure no child is left out in this campaign,” he said.

He called on the Kano State Government to declare a state of emergency on polio and routine immunization.

Mr. Banda further urged the government to release adequate counterpart funding promptly and for local government chairpersons to take ownership of the campaign by conducting flag-offs and participating in daily reviews.

“We have to make sure that by the end of this year, we eliminate polio and win the fight against it,” he added.

Providing further insight, the State Immunization Officer, Hajiya Sa’adatu Ibrahim, emphasized that polio is preventable through routine and supplementary immunization, coupled with effective disease surveillance.

“Polio is a vaccine-preventable illness. Our challenge now is reaching every child, every time,” she said.

“Between 2023 and 2024, Kano State recorded 58 cases of cVPV2 across 28 LGAs,” She explained.

“The resurgence has been attributed to gaps in routine immunization and surveillance, leaving many children vulnerable.

“The forthcoming April campaign is an opportunity to reach these missed children and provide booster doses to strengthen immunity.”

“This is not business as usual. No more excuses. It is time to act. We have the strategy, we have the vaccines. What’s missing is high-quality execution and urgency.”

She concluded by emphasizing this is Nigeria’s final chance to end polio transmission, and success depends on effective execution.

“Funding from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is not guaranteed beyond 2025. Without meaningful progress this year, the initiative may be unable to maintain its current level of support,” she warned.

Parents and caregivers have been urged to take full advantage of the upcoming Routine Immunization (RI) exercise, which will be strategically stationed in two wards per local government across Kano State.