Katsina, UNICEF partner to vaccinate 2.6m children against polio

The Katsina State Government in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), is to vaccinate more than 2.6 million children against polio in 28 Local Government Areas.

At a press conference yesterday, Acting Exective Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (PHCDA), Dr Shama’u Abba, said the vaccination is targeted at children aged zero to 59 months, and is to commence from November 7 to 10.

Represented by the agency’s Education Officer, Dr Mukhtar Mahmud; Abba said the vaccination exercise is to cover 299 wards across the implementing councils, which she described as high-risk areas.

She said the campaign would not be extended to six of the state’s 34 councils including Bindawa, Dutsi, Kankia, Kusada, Safana and Sandamu, as they are deemed to be low-risk areas.

She explained that the vaccination exercise would deploy different strategies, including house-to-house visits, transit and special teams, fixed vaccination posts and temporary fixed posts, to ensure eligible children are reached.

The acting exective secretary identified vaccines to be administered including the novel Oral Polio Vaccine Type 2 (nOPV2), Bivalent Oral Polio Vaccine (bOPV) and fractional Inactivated Polio Vaccine (fIPV), in accordance with approved guidelines and eligibility requirements.

Abba said the operational schedule provides for two days of DOPV activities, four days of house-to-house vaccination and two additional days of mop-up exercises to reach children missed during the main campaign.

She said the exercise would also incorporate other essential healthcare interventions through the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Week and the SARMAAN II Project, with the aim of improving access to preventive health services for children and pregnant women.

She emphasized that children who had received polio vaccines during previous campaigns must still be presented for vaccination, in line with the campaign’s guidelines.

She expressed confidence that collaboration among health authorities, development partners, media organisations and community stakeholders would help ensure that no eligible child is missed.

Abba reiterated the agency’s commitment to strengthening immunisation coverage and sustaining efforts towards the eradication of polio in the state.