The United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) is working with the Federal Government, states and other stakeholders to reduce the number of Zero Dose (ZD) children through improved routine immunization coverage and strengthened health systems nationwide.

Nigeria has 2.1 million children who have not received any single ZD as per the national routine immunization schedules. A global target is to reduce the number of children that are ZD by 25 per cent by 2025 and by 50 per cent by 2030.

UNICEF Health Officer for the Maiduguri Field Office, Bashir Elegbede, who disclosed this at a one-day Media Dialogue organised in collaboration with the Child Rights Bureau of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation to commemorate 2025 World Immunization Day in Damaturu, Yobe State, said that Nigeria bears the highest global burden of ZD children.

Elegbede noted that reducing the number of children who have not received any routine vaccinations, is crucial for improving public health outcomes in Nigeria.

He added that these children are mostly found in locations affected by conflict, climate change, geographic hard-to-reach, pastoral, urban outskirts and slums, including areas with existing health system challenges.

He said, “The under-one population in Nigeria is estimated at 8.7 million, with 2.1 million of them (24 per cent) classified as ZD children.

According to him, children not immunized have a high risk of being infected and succumbing to vaccine-preventable diseases such as polio, measles, yellow fever, and viral hepatitis among others.

Elegbede observed that the Maiduguri Field Office has ten of the earlier priority local councils in Borno and Yobe States, there is an estimated number of 400,000 children that are above one year and have never received any form of vaccine.

He said, “ZD priority locations are used as entry points for health systems strengthening investments. UNICEF has supported Yobe State in vaccinating around 20,000 ZD children with the administration of the DPT/PENTA vaccine in 2024.

“The UNICEF Volunteer Community Mobilisers (VCM) has exhibited a robust commitment and effectively reduced non-compliance to routine immunization to less than one per cent as reported across VCM settlements in Yobe State. In Borno State, UNICEF’s intervention has successfully reached 145,000 ZD children across prioritised local councils.”

Elegbede noted that vaccines are lifesavers that provide the necessary foundation for children to thrive, adding that millions of lives globally have been saved by vaccines.

Also speaking, the Yobe State Commissioner for Health, Mohammed Gana, said that the country faces outbreaks of diphtheria, meningitis, cholera, and other diseases, adding that immunization is a cost-effective strategy towards the prevention of vaccine-preventable diseases.

He highlighted the need for a renewed drive towards ensuring that the populations accept and receive immunization and ensure that no child is left unvaccinated across the state.

He said, “We have used strategies of enrolling them in health insurance so that they not only receive immunisation but benefit from other health services. In two local councils, over 10,000 children have benefited from this and more than 26,000 plus children were also vaccinated.”

Gana noted that the major challenges facing routine immunisation in the state are the poor healthcare-seeking behaviour of the people, ignorance, poverty, and insecurity challenges, which made access to some communities difficult.

He stated that with the strategic shift and other strategies that have been implemented, especially with the traditional and religious institutions, the problems will be addressed.