The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has provided the Bauchi State government more than 2.5 million doses of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to boost the upcoming statewide vaccination campaign targeting children under five years.
Speaking yesterday at the cold storage facility of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi, UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Bauchi, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, said the vaccination exercise would run from April 24 to 29, 2025.
Dr. Rafique emphasised the importance of widespread awareness ahead of the campaign to ensure maximum turnout from parents and guardians.
“Bauchi is a high-priority state with 13 out of 20 local government areas having a large number of ‘zero-dose’ children who have never received any vaccine. That’s about 556,000 children at extremely high risk,” she said.
She urged stakeholders and community leaders to help spread the campaign and encourage participation, especially in high-risk areas.
“UNICEF has supported this campaign by delivering over 2.5 million doses of polio vaccines, now safely stored in the hospital’s cold room. We’re targeting every child under five, with special focus on reaching those zero-dose children,” Dr. Rafique said.
Representing the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Bappah Jika confirmed receipt of the vaccine consignment and expressed gratitude to UNICEF for its support.
