The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched the ‘No More Zero Dose’ Song Campaign in Kano in collaboration with Kano State Radio.
The song aims to create public awareness and inspire action for immunisation in Nigeria and Africa.
The song features UNICEF ambassadors and music stars from Nigeria, Mali, Chad, Cameroon, and Guinea, such as Cobhams, Waje, Master Soumy, Sekouba Bambino, Stanley Enow, Mawndoe, Spyro, Timi Dakolo, Omawumi, Qing Madi, Kate Henshaw and Ali Nuhu.
During the event, Rahama Farah, Chief of UNICEF’s Kano Field Office, noted that the song sheds light on the urgent and critical need for increased immunisation coverage in West and Central Africa. This region has had multiple outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases like diphtheria, measles, polio, yellow fever, and cerebrospinal meningitis.
He explained that in Nigeria, for instance, despite the progress made in improving Vaccination, it continues to face challenges in getting all eligible children vaccinated, citing the example of Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina states, which have a total record of 556,750 Zero-Dose children.
Farah, therefore, sought the support of the various stakeholders present at the event to spread the message of the importance of Immunization and getting every child under five fully immunised.
While appreciating the governments of Kano, Jigawa, and Katsina states for their efforts at improving immunisation, he tasked them with putting more effort into strengthening the healthcare system, including routine immunisation, and extending essential healthcare services to every ward in the states.
Meanwhile, the song was launched by the Kano state commissioner of health, Dr Labaran Yusuf, who reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening the immunisation process in the state.
In a related development, the commissioner, while marking World Polio Day in Kano, stated that the state is fully committed to ensuring that all eligible children are immunised through various programmes targeted to them.
He said that under Governor Abba Yusuf’s leadership, they have embarked on many initiatives, projects, and interventions to improve health service delivery across the state.
