By Khadija Aliyu
The Kano state government KNSG has targeted 4.5 million children for the April 2025 immunization plus days IPDs polio campaign.
This was part of commitments during a Media Dialogue organized by KNSG in collaboration with UNICEF and other partners.
Recall that in 2025,18 cases of polio were recorded in 18 LGAs across 9 states, where three are from Warawa, Bunkure, and Nasarawa Kano.
The dialogue was organized to solicit media support in raising awareness and mobilizing parents, caregivers, communities, and the public to kick polio out of Nigeria.
In his remarks, the chief of field office UNICEF Kano, Mr. Rahma Rihood Mohammed Farah, lighted that the release of counterpart funding for routine immunization and polio vaccine campaigns would go a long way in eradicating the deadly disease.
Represented by the officer in charge , Mr. Micheal Banda, he hinted that, to eradicate polio and other preventable diseases, Nigeria must strengthen routine immunization efforts that require full implementation of its own functional primary healthcare PHC per ward.
“To eradicate polio, the government of Kano state should declare a state of emergency on polio and routine immunization, all LGA Chairpersons in Kano conduct flag offs of the upcoming polio vaccine campaign, chairmen should implement commitments made publicly in Kaduna”
Mr Banda urged the media to use their various platforms to share information about the polio vaccine and mobilize their children massively for the campaign.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the director general of Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board SPHCMB Dr Faisal Mahmoud, represented by the director of disease control Dr, Sharif Yahaya Musa, explained that the media has a vital role to play in disseminating the right information to the public.
He noted that effective coverage will lead to better health outcomes, improving low coverage, and a clear understanding of the consequences of zero dose.
The Incident Manager Kano Emergency Operation Center, EOC Dr Abdullahi Sa’ad Ahmad, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to eradicating polio.
He pointed out that the government under the leadership of Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf set a target to wipe out polio by June 2025 through various interventions according to global practice.
The Kano state immunization officer Saadatu Ibrahim posited that every missed child is a place for polio to hide, saying that that April IDPs 2025 campaign is an opportunity to further strengthen childrens immunity Aginst polio.
She explained that , the three polio global Eradication strategies used for response and detection includes routine immunization, supplementary immunization activities and polio surveillance.
Radio Nigeria that,the April 2025 polio vaccination campaign is slated for 20- 30th April which coincides with the world immunization week.
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