Sultan Foundation Urges Religious Leaders To Intensify Polio Immunisation Campaign In Yobe

The Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development has urged Muslim and Christian religious leaders in Yobe State to intensify public enlightenment on polio immunisation following reports of variant poliovirus circulation in three local government areas of the state.

The call was made during a one-day high-level engagement with religious leaders on demand generation for polio and routine immunisation, organised by the foundation in Damaturu. The event brought together Islamic and Christian leaders from across the state.

Speaking at the engagement, the Emir of Bade, Abubakar Umar Sulaiman, urged traditional rulers, Islamic scholars and Christian clerics to use their influence to counter vaccine misinformation and encourage parents to ensure their children receive recommended immunisations.

The emir said sustained collaboration among government agencies, traditional institutions, religious leaders and development partners was critical to reaching communities where misconceptions and resistance continued to hinder vaccination efforts.

He recalled that the involvement of traditional rulers in previous vaccination campaigns had contributed significantly to reducing reported polio cases in the country, stressing that community engagement remained essential to achieving lasting progress towards polio eradication.

The royal father dismissed claims that vaccines cause infertility, describing them as propaganda capable of undermining public confidence in immunisation programmes.

He called on imams, particularly those delivering Friday sermons, pastors and other religious leaders to incorporate accurate health information into their teachings and encourage parents to cooperate with health workers during vaccination campaigns.

The emir also emphasised that immunisation services provided through supported programmes were free, urging communities to take advantage of the services to protect children against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Also speaking, the National Programme Adviser of the Sultan Foundation, Malam Aminu Dan-Mallam, said the engagement was organised to update religious leaders on polio eradication efforts and strengthen their participation in promoting immunisation and other primary healthcare interventions.

Dan-Mallam said reports of variant poliovirus circulation in three local government areas of Yobe State required intensified community sensitisation to prevent further transmission.

In a keynote address, the Executive Secretary of the Yobe State Primary Healthcare Management Board, Dr Babagana Kundi Machina, represented by the Senior Liaison Officer to the state governor on Primary Health Care Services, Dr Umar Chiroma, called for stronger community participation in routine immunisation and polio vaccination campaigns.

Machina expressed concern over vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio, diphtheria and measles, stressing the need for closer collaboration between health authorities and religious institutions to protect children.

He said religious leaders were strategically positioned to influence public attitudes and promote vaccine acceptance by communicating accurate health information through religious teachings and community gatherings.

Machina urged participants to encourage parents to take their children to health facilities for routine immunisation and cooperate with vaccination teams during house-to-house campaigns.

He added that protecting children’s health through preventive healthcare was essential to their growth, learning and development.

Chiroma expressed hope that the engagement would strengthen trust between communities and healthcare providers, improve vaccine acceptance and support efforts to prevent the spread of infectious diseases across the state.

PleaseThe Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development has urged Muslim and Christian religious leaders in Yobe state to intensify public enlightenment on polio immunisation amid concerns over the circulation of variant poliovirus in three local government areas of the state.

The call was made at a one-day high-level engagement with religious leaders on demand generation for polio and routine immunisation, organised by the foundation in Damaturu, which brought together both Islamic and Christians leaders across the state.

Speaking at the event, the Emir of Bade, Abubakar Umar Sulaiman, urged traditional rulers, Islamic scholars and Christian clerics to use their influence to address vaccine misinformation and encourage parents to ensure their children receive recommended immunizations.

The emir said sustained collaboration among government agencies, traditional institutions, religious leaders and development partners is critical to reaching communities where misconceptions and resistance continued to affect vaccination efforts.

He recalled that the involvement of traditional rulers in earlier vaccination campaigns had contributed significantly to reducing reported polio cases in the country, stressing that community engagement remained essential to achieving lasting progress towards eradication.

The Royal Father dismissed claims that vaccines cause infertility, describing such allegations as propaganda capable of undermining public confidence in immunisation programmes.

He called on imams and pastors, particularly those delivering Friday sermons and other religious leaders to incorporate accurate health information into their teachings and encourage parents to cooperate with health workers during vaccination campaigns.

The emir also emphasised that immunisation services provided through supported programmes were free, urging communities to take advantage of the services to protect children against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases.

Also speaking, the National Programme Adviser of the Sultan Foundation, Malam Aminu Dan-Mallam said the engagement was organised to update religious leaders on polio eradication efforts and strengthen their participation in promoting immunisation and other primary healthcare interventions.

Aminu Dan-Mallam said the reported circulation of variant poliovirus in three local government areas of Yobe state required intensified community sensitisation to prevent further transmission.

In a keynote address, the Executive Secretary of Yobe State Primary Healthcare Management Board, Dr Babagana Kundi Machina, represented by the Senior Liaison Officer to the state governor on Primary Health Care Services, Dr Umar Chiroma, called for stronger community participation in routine immunisation and polio vaccination campaigns.

Dr Babagana Kundi Machina expressed concern over vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio, diphtheria and measles, stressing the need for closer collaboration between health authorities and religious institutions to protect children.

He said religious leaders were strategically positioned to influence public attitudes and promote acceptance of vaccination by communicating accurate health information through religious teachings and community gatherings.

Kundi urged participants to encourage parents to take their children to health facilities for routine immunisation and cooperate with vaccination teams during house-to-house campaigns.

He added that protecting children’s health through preventive healthcare was essential to their growth, learning and development.

Chiroma expressed hope that the engagement would strengthen trust between communities and healthcare providers, improve vaccine acceptance and support efforts to prevent the spread of infectious diseases in the state.