The World Health Organization (WHO) in Nigeria have lent their support to the Katsina state government in its bid to vaccinate 2.8m children against Poliovirus.

Taking to its official Twitter account, WHO Nigeria said it supports the Katsina state in an integrated Fractional injectable Polio Vaccine (fIPV) and novel Oral Polio Vaccines (nOPV) vaccination campaign.

The Health Organization and the Katsina state government also target over 2.8m children to interrupt ongoing transmission of circulating Variant Poliovirus (cVPV2) in neighboring States.

“WHO Nigeria remains committed to leading effective partnerships in ensuring the quality of the campaign through supportive supervision, enhanced independent monitoring and performance reviews at all levels.”

It also said that it would give its best to help Nigeria which has stepped up measures to reach eligible children with potent vaccines.

“At least, 64 per cent of children between ages 12-23 months in Nigeria did not receive all recommended vaccines in 2021 but some caregivers are stepping up to ensure their children get protected through vaccination,” WHO stated.

In partnership with WHO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, UNICEF and other partners, the Government of Nigeria, through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), administers 13 vaccines on its Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) schedule.

The latest is the rotavirus vaccine. The free Rotavirus vaccine is given orally and administered concurrently with the existing RI vaccines at six weeks, 10 weeks and 14 weeks.

According to WHO, the RI Programme in Nigeria continues to play an important role in protecting newborns and children from life-threatening diseases.

Buttressing the importance of the vaccination, the WHO Country Representative, Dr Walter Kazadi Mulombo, says investment in immunization remains a top priority to ensure life-saving vaccines are delivered to children, women, adolescents and the vulnerable populations to protect them from vaccine-preventable diseases.

Dr Mulombo explains that in the last 75 years, WHO working in collaboration with countries and partners has made progress in protecting people from diseases with major achievements including smallpox eradication, reducing the incidence of polio by 99%, saving millions of lives through childhood immunization, decline in maternal mortality and improving health and well-being for millions more.

He assures of WHO’s continued commitment to providing technical support to the introduction of new Vaccines into Nigeria’s Routine Immunization Schedule and other health interventions.

“Besides, WHO with funding from GAVI, is supporting the government of Nigeria in immunization and PHC system strengthening,” Mulombo said.