By Muhammad Jamilu Abubakar
Gombe State Government, in partnership with Federal government and UNICEF, has launched the second round of the 2025 National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) and the Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Week (MNCHW), targeting over 832,000 children and pregnant women across the state.
The exercise was flagged off at Swa Ward in Balanga Local Government Area. Representing the Deputy Governor, Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau, the Chairman of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Ahmad Yahuza Kashere, urged parents and caregivers to present all eligible recipients for the interventions.
Dr. Kashere explained that the campaign will administer polio vaccines to children under five, provide vitamin A supplements to 770,852 children aged 6–59 months, and offer deworming tablets to children aged 12–59 months. Health workers will also conduct malnutrition screening for children aged 6–59 months and distribute multiple micronutrient supplements to 214,126 pregnant women to enhance maternal health.
The deputy governor reaffirmed the state’s commitment to reaching every household, noting that health teams will cover even hard-to-reach communities. He added that pregnant women will receive sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine to prevent malaria, alongside focused health education on breastfeeding, nutrition, hygiene and other key household practices.
He commended national and international partners for supporting Gombe State’s primary healthcare programmes and assured that the government will continue investing in child survival and immunization initiatives.
The Executive Secretary of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Shuaibu, represented by the Director of Disease Control and Immunisation, Dr. Mustapha Musa Abdullahi, said integrating NIPDs with MNCHW would further strengthen efforts to keep Nigeria polio-free. He stressed the need to prevent any resurgence of wild polio in the state.
Dr. Shuaibu noted that the campaign would significantly improve health coverage, with post-campaign assessments planned to reach children missed during earlier rounds. He appealed to stakeholders and community leaders to intensify mobilization and ensure wide participation.
Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, reaffirmed UNICEF’s commitment to supporting Gombe State. She highlighted the success of previous rounds and said UNICEF has provided more than 20,000 bottles of multiple micronutrient supplements for pregnant women and over 700,000 doses of vitamin A for children.
Dr. Rafique called on parents, caregivers and traditional leaders to ensure that no child is left out, stressing that immunization remains one of the most effective ways to protect children from preventable diseases.
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