From Umar Dankano, Yola
The Adamawa State Government has flagged off the 2026 National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs), targeting about 1.4 million children across the state.
The Executive Chairman of the Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ADSPHCDA), Dr. Bashir Suleiman Sai’du, stated that although the state has been declared polio-free, there is a need to sustain awareness campaigns to maintain the status.
Dr. Sai’du disclosed this during a media engagement held in Yola on Saturday, noting that the agency aims to ensure that no new case of polio occurs without detection.
He explained that a total of 1,685 personnel have been engaged for the four-day exercise, deployed into house-to-house, fixed, mobile, and special teams to ensure effective coverage.
According to him, the immunization exercise commenced on Sunday, March 29, and will end on April 1, 2026, with an additional two days set aside for mop-up activities in areas not covered across the 226 political wards in the 21 local government areas of the state.
While urging the media to intensify awareness and information dissemination on immunization and other health-related issues, Sai’du noted that the resurgence of polio in some cases is linked to cross-border movement from countries with low vaccination coverage.
The exercise was officially launched at Atiku Abubakar Health Centre in Yola North Local Government Area on Sunday, where officials of the ADSPHCDA, alongside development partners including WHO, UNICEF, and eHealth Nigeria, called on parents to present their children for immunization.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Chairman of Yola North Local Government Area, Barrister Ibrahim Jibrin Jimeta, urged residents to comply with the exercise to ensure healthy growth of children in the area.
Represented by the Vice Chairperson, Hon. Saira Nathan, he also called on traditional leaders to sensitize their communities on the importance of polio immunization in preventing the disease among children.
Also speaking, UNICEF Health Officer, Bauchi Field Office, Mr. Oluseyi Olosunde, described the partnership between UNICEF and the Adamawa State Government as productive and successful, assuring continued support for the exercise.
Olosunde urged health workers to ensure that no child is left out, emphasizing that the vaccines are potent, effective, efficient, and readily available. He added that a single case of polio poses a threat to the entire society.
Our correspondent reports that the National Immunization Plus Days is supported by UNICEF in collaboration with the Adamawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency.