The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has said that nearly 250,000 children with zero dose were being recorded in Kano State.
The chief of UNICEF, Kano field office, Rahama Farah, disclosed this yesterday during an interactive meeting with the 44 local government chairmen, district heads and stakeholders on sustaining the gains of polio eradication, routine immunisation and other Primary Health Care (PHC) services in the state.
According to him, the alarming rise does not only threaten the future of nearly a quarter of a million children who are vulnerable to preventable diseases that threaten their lives and the health of their communities, but the health of the entire state is being put at risk.
“In other words, Kano is home to the highest number of children in Nigeria who have never got any routine immunisation vaccine.
“This is not an isolated issue, but a deeply concerning trend that puts the health of our entire state at risk. It is compounded by the alarming rise in variant poliovirus cases reported in our state.
“In 2022, we saw six reported cases; in 2023, this increased to 27; and in 2024, the number stands at 29. This escalating trend is a stark reminder of the critical need for a collective effort to safeguard our children,” he stated.
While urging the chairmen and traditional leaders to ensure immunization Task Forces in their areas are constituted, well-funded and functional, Farah however called for a full support by also getting involved to improve the situation, noting that vaccines are safe, effective and essential for the health of a child.
In his remarks, the Kano state commissioner of Health, Dr Labaran Yusuf, reiterated the commitment of the state government to enhancing healthcare delivery in the state.
He said the present government has turned around the fortunes of healthcare delivery compared to how it met it, and is committed to vaccination, polio eradication and crashing maternal mortality in the near future in the state.
Earlier, the director-general of the state primary healthcare management board, Dr Nasiru Mohammed, said the objective of the workshop was to update stakeholders on the health indices, immunisation, polio eradication and zero dose in the state; how to overcome it, acquaint them of their various roles and responsibilities to that effect and secure their commitment.
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