Bauchi govt moves to end zero-dose status with 2.5m polio vaccines

In a bid to shed its ‘Zero Dose’ status of unimmunized under-five (U-5) children, the Bauchi State Government on Friday flagged off its polio immunization campaign, slated for April 24 to 30, 2025.

The campaign, supported by international development partners led by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), aims to vaccinate all U-5 children, with a special focus on those who have never received any vaccination, known as “zero-dose” children.

As a national event, the campaign seeks to ensure that Nigeria remains polio-free, as it is still one of three countries globally where the polio virus persists.

Flagging off the campaign on behalf of the state government at Tirwun community in Bauchi LGA, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, announced that the state had received a total of 2.5 million doses of the Novel Oral Polio Vaccine (NOPV) for the exercise.

He added that the state had engaged the services of 160 monitors, including Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), to ensure the smooth and successful execution of the polio vaccination exercise over the next seven days.

According to him, during the exercise, he, along with the Commissioner for Health, the Emir of Dass, and the UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Bauchi, would undertake special monitoring activities in three high-risk LGAs: Ganjuwa, Bauchi, and Ningi.

He stressed that these LGAs have a high number of zero-dose children, hence the determination to ensure strict compliance.

“This time around, we are moving with security—the DSS, the Police, and armored vehicles—to ensure compliance. We are not conducting this exercise as we used to, by begging and pleading,” he said.

He emphasized, “It is now compulsory for all children to be vaccinated, and anyone who refuses to cooperate will be arrested.”

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Rilwanu Mohammed further stated, “Presently, Bauchi State has 13 zero-dose LGAs, with the exception of 7 LGAs. So, we are still ranked number one in the country. Much work has been done by UNICEF, WHO, and the state government, which has provided counterpart funding of N8.8 million to support this exercise and other successful social mobilization activities.”

He explained, “Our concern about non-compliance in some areas stems from our desire not to miss any child. We will also deploy security personnel to areas experiencing insecurity to ensure that every child is vaccinated.”

Also speaking, the Chief of Field Office (CFO), UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, reiterated UNICEF’s commitment to supporting the state to ensure that every child is immunized.

Represented by the UNICEF Head of Social Behaviour Change (SBC) Specialist, Mr. Eki George, Nuzhat Rafique acknowledged that while cases of zero-dose children still exist in some LGAs, more partners are now supporting the initiative to ensure total compliance during the exercise.

According to her, “The fight against polio is not over yet. With 13 zero-dose LGAs and 7 compliant LGAs, this is a wake-up call for parents, especially fathers, to give consent for their children to be vaccinated.”

“We are calling on all fathers to allow their wives to ensure that their children are vaccinated because we cannot afford to miss any child this time around,” she added.

Nuzhat Rafique stressed, “Ahead of this flag-off, we provided support to the state to ensure that the campaign runs smoothly. In Bauchi State, which is our focus, we are working closely with the government to ensure that every concerned parent is reached—no matter where the child is, they must be vaccinated.”

She added, “We are also calling on community leaders to supervise activities within their communities because we cannot afford any vaccine non-compliance.”

The Executive Chairman of Bauchi LGA, Mahmood Babamaji Abubakar, in his remarks, commended UNICEF and other partners for choosing the LGA for the campaign’s flag-off.

Represented by the Head of Administration, Hauwa Ibrahim, he assured that the council had undertaken significant mobilization efforts to ensure the campaign’s success, including recruiting personnel for the exercise.

In his vote of thanks, the District Head of Tirwun community, Alhaji Muhammad Tirwun, thanked UNICEF and other partners for supporting the state in ensuring that every child is vaccinated during the exercise.

He called on all traditional rulers across the state to participate actively in the monitoring process to ensure compliance.

He also debunked the allegation that the vaccine was a means of reducing the child population, emphasizing that the vaccine’s purpose is to boost children’s immunity against killer diseases.

The District Head instructed field health workers to contact him and other community leaders immediately if they experience resistance from parents or heads of households, to ensure that every child is immunized.