Polio Immunization:Jigawa Govt, UNICEF Target 1.9m children
Polio Immunization:Jigawa Govt, UNICEF Target 1.9m children
From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse
No fewer than 1.9 million Children are targeted by Jigawa State Government with support from United Nation’s Children Education Fund (UNICEF) for the 2025 polio immunization exercise.
The Jigawa State Programme Manager of Routine Immunization Campaign (SERICC) Coordinator,Alhaji Shehu Ibrahim stated this during the Media Dialogue with UNICEF, Jigawa state government and partners on Polio and Routine Immunization held on Thursday at Tahir Hotel Dutse.
He explained that, the polio and routine immunization scheduled to commence on 26th to 29th April 2025 across the 287 political wards of 27 local government areas in Jigawa.
The programme Manager who said this year’s campaign is unique, using Identify, Enumerate and Vaccinate Strategy (IEV) will ensure all households are identified and all children are vaccinated.
According to him all stakeholders including parents, care givers, community leaders, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) were engaged to ensure smooth running of the exercise and ensure no single child is obmitted calling on parents to bring out their children for vaccination.
While making his speeh, Mr. Rahma Rihood Mohammed Farah, Chief of UNICEF field Office Kano at Media Dialogue on Polio and Routine Immunization represented by Dr. Serekeberehan Seyoum Deres, Health Manager, UNICEF Kano Field Office commended media for being committed allies to the cause of children over the years.
He said, UNICEF in collaboration with the Jigawa state Government through the Primary Healthcare Development Agency has convened this Media Dialogue to solicit the support of the media in raising awareness and mobilizing parents, caregivers, communities, stakeholders, the public and everyone, about the Polio Vaccination Campaign which Nigeria has scheduled to implement from 24-30 April 2025.
According to him, this Campaign also coincides with the World Immunization Week scheduled for the same period urging the media to deploy their various channels to share information about the polio vaccination campaign and mobilize parents and caregivers to bring out their children massively for vaccination during the campaign.
“In 2025, 18 cases of polio have been reported in 18 LGAs in nine (9) states of Nigeria. Two (2) of these polio cases are in Hadejia and Sule Tankarkar LGAs of Jigawa state. This is unacceptable and must be halted!Polio knows no boundaries and spreads fast – an outbreak in any country puts children in every country at risk”, he said.
According to him, In the last 50 years alone, vaccines have saved 154 million lives – that is six people every minute, for five decades. This was achieved Simply by being immunized, you help to protect others from the spread of disease, just as they help to protect you.
He then said, UNICEF calls on the Jigawa state government, and indeed all states in Nigeria, to take urgent action to stop polio outbreaks and to reach all children with polio and other life-saving vaccines.
