Bauchi Govt., UNICEF, Partners Flag Off 2025 Polio Immunisation Campaign

Recieves 2.5 million doses of Novel Oral Polio vaccine(NOPV)

Engages 160 Monitors

From Paul Orude Bauchi

Bauchi State Government in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)  and partners  on Friday flagged off the 2025 Polio Immunisation campaign slated for April 24 to 30, 2025 to vaccinate all  zero-dose children under the age of five.

Declaring campaign open in Tirwun community in Bauchi Local Government Area of the state, the Executive Chairman, Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, said the state received a total of 2.5 million doses of Novel Oral Polio vaccine(NOPV) for this year’s exercise.

The Executive Chairman disclosed  that the state engaged 160 monitors, including Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) for the success of the 2025 polio vaccination exercise.

He said some staff of the agency, led by himself, along with the commissioner for health, the Emir of Dass and UNICEF Chief of Field Office Bauchi would be on special monitoring exercise to Ganjuwa, Bauchi and Ningi LGAs where there is zero dose of polio immunization to ensure compliance.

He lamented that the state has 13 zero dose LGAs and the most contributing state with zero dose of polio in the country 

 “So much work has been done by UNICEF, WHO and the state government that has provided counterpart funding of N8.8 million to support this exercise and other social mobilisation,” he said 

“We still have non-compliance in some quarters and we don’t want to miss any child during this campaign

“We will engage the security agencies in areas where there is insecurity to ensure that every child is vaccinated” 

The Chief of Field Office (CFO), UNICEF, Bauchi, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, assured of UNICEF’s continued commitment and support to the state to ensure that every child was immunized.

Rafique, who was represented by the UNICEF Head, Social Behaviour Change (SBC) Specialist, Mr Eki George, said more partners were supporting this  year’s campaign to ensure total compliance during the exercise.

“The fight against polio is not over yet, with 13 zero dose LGAs and only seven LGAs that are compliant,” Rafique stated.

“This is a wakeup call to parents especially fathers to give consent  to their wives to allow their children to be vaccinated because we cannot afford to miss any child this time around.

“As a buildup to this flag-off, we provided support to the State to ensure that this campaign  was successful.

“We are working with the state to ensure that every concerned parent is reached no matter where the child is, to be vaccinated. 

“We are calling on communities leaders to go out and supervise and see what is happening in your communities because we don’t want to have any vaccine non-compliance”

In his vote of thanks, the District Head of Tirwun community, Alhaji Muhammad Tirwun thanked UNICEF and other partners for supporting the state to ensure  that every child is vaccinated during thus year’s campaign.

Tirwun called called on all the traditional rulers to participate actively during the monitoring to ensure compliance and charged  Health workers to notify communities leaders in areas where experience resistance from parents.