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| Image: Dr. Serekeberehan Seyoum Deres, Health Manager, UNICEF Kano Field Office, while speaking during a Media Dialogue held in Dutse, Jigawa state on preparation ahead of the fourth coming polio vaccination campaign. |
By Salisu Kabuga
Jigawa State is gearing up to tackle the polio virus head-on, targeting 1.9 million children under the age of five in its upcoming vaccination campaign.
The upcoming campaign is scheduled to take place from April 24-30, 2025, coinciding with the World Immunization Week.
According to Dr. Serekeberehan Seyoum Deres, Health Manager, UNICEF Kano Field Office, while speaking during a Media Dialogue held in Dutse, the state capital on preparation ahead of the fourth coming polio vaccination campaign in the state said UNICEF in collaboration with the Jigawa state government, is adopting innovative approaches to ensure the success of the campaign.
Last round, two polio cases have been reported in Hadejia and Sule Tankarkar LGAs of Jigawa State, bringing the total number of cases in Nigeria to 18. Dr. Deres who represented the Mr.Rahma Farah, the Chief of UNICEF Field Office, Kano, described this as "unacceptable and must be halted."
He emphasized the need for urgent action to stop polio outbreaks and reach all children with life-saving vaccines. "Ending polio and improving children's survival starts with making sure all children have access to vaccines," he said.
The UNICEF in-charge Kano Field Office however called on the Jigawa State government to declare a state of emergency on polio and routine immunization.
Dr. Deres also emphasized that vaccines have saved 154 million lives in the last 50 years, which is six people every minute, for five decades. "Vaccines are available, safe, and effective," he added.
"Jigawa state needs to strengthen its routine immunization efforts by fully implementing the One functional Primary Healthcare Centre per ward Policy. This will help eradicate polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases," he declared.
Also, Dr. Deres urged the media to raise awareness on the importance of routine immunization. "If children get vaccinated routinely, we will have no need for vaccination campaigns to deal with vaccine-preventable diseases," he echoed further.
However, Health Manager called on the Jigawa State government, Association of Local Government Chairmen (ALGON), and traditional leaders to make public commitments and mobilize communities to vaccinate all eligible children.
Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Jigawa State Primary Primary Healthcare Development Agency represented by the Project Manager, State Emergency Routine Immunisation Coordination Centre (SERICC), Mr. Shehu Ibrahim stated that the state has adopted the "Identify, Enumerate, and Vaccinate" technique, which involves using technology to identify and vaccinate children.
The Project Manager, State Emergency Routine Immunisation Coordination Centre (SERICC), revealed that this approach is currently ongoing. "This time around, there is going to be a lot of innovation and interventions," he added.
He explained that the campaign aims to reach 1.9 million children under the age of five across the 27 LGAs in Jigawa State. "Civil society organizations will be involved in mobilizing and sensitizing communities on the exercise," he said.
Additionally, he revealed that traditional rulers will also play a key role in endorsing indigenous vaccinators who know the nooks and crannies of their areas. "This approach is expected to improve the effectiveness of the campaign."
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