AVW 2025: We Won't Spare Any Stone Unturned Bauchi Gov. UNICEF, Others

By Adamu IMAM, Bauchi 

AVW 2025: We Won't Spare Any Stone Unturned Bauchi Gov. UNICEF, Others

By Adamu IMAM, Bauchi 

Nigeria disproportionately accounts for 2.2 million of the 4.4 million zero-dose children in West Africa, the highest in the world.

Only 23 per cent of children were fully immunised according to the Expanded Programme on Immunization schedule

Against this background Trustv's Adamu Imam speak to some health officials on how zero vaccination affect the life of the child

Recent statistics revealed the national coverage for full vaccination (all first-year antigens) among children 12-23 months in Nigeria is 35.6%, with sharp regional variation.This is why under-five mortality rate in Nigeria is so high.

The top areas where those zero-dose children tend to be more located in urban and hard-to-reach communities in Nigeria. Bauchi state is not an exception, health officials during an interview explained further 

The African vaccination week is an annual event which coincides with the World Immunization Week, which is held during the last week of April.

Many factors can affect immunization coverage especially within the vaccination rejected local area councils , during the flagging of the campaign in Bauchi state, the primary healthcare board with the support from the United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF Bauchi Field Office BFO and other development partners says they will not leave any stone unturn use and ever ready to exhaust all avenues to fight against the polio disease.

The primary healthcare boss Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed PHCDB affirmed government commitment towards this fights against circulating polio virus especially in hard to reach areas, moving forward he assured a holistic approach

"Bauchi state is among the states that has zero dose about thirteen local governments areas only seven that are not zero dose so we need to put all hands on deck to make sure that every child gets vaccinated and we are divising away"

"this year is quite different methods we have 160 strong supervisors within and outside all over the local governments to observes and keep an eye on what is going on at these LGAs"

"We intent to reach the Fulani settlements even the security compromised areas of Alkaleri I was informed that the chairman Alkaleri local government provide security to reach those settlements and this is the area we have security challenges, he maintained.

The village head of Tirwun Alhaji Mohammed Tirwun reaffirmed his commitment vehemently, that the campaign would take a different dimension not business as usual, 

We are going for massive attack massive defence what i mean is that, like in football if we go together we come back together, so all people of Tirwun communities and my hamlets heads they would all come out enmass to see the success of this campaign"

"we should bring out our children for immunizations so definitely this time around I will not spare anybody and I assured government nobody will be left out insha Allahu" 

 

While on the side development partners particularly United Nations Children's  Fund UNICEF Bauchi Field Officer Dr  Nuzhat Rafique represented by George Eki staff of the agency re-echor their usual support and encouragement towards issues affecting children and women for better society, says this polio campaign is targeted at the the zero dose areas holistically 

" Thirteen non complice local government areas we are calling on all parents especially fathers to give consent to children or their wives to be vaccinated we can not afford to miss any child at this point in time UNICEF as a buildup to this campaign, we provided he support to the state government to ensure that  this campaign runs smoothly, it is not only in this state 

Is a country wise campaign and off course we here in Bauchi which our focus that every concern parents is reach no matter where the child are gonna get vaccinated,

"so we are calling on other communities as the community leaders engaged get out and see what is happening we don't want to have any incompliance vaccinated that is the gold" we want to ensure that our children are safe healthy and they can grow and live to their full potentials" UNICEF Emphasized.

Recently the global body says only Nasarawa state out of the entire 36 states and Abuja, is able to implement the integrated supplemental immunization on schedule, while others remain at large.