Polio: UNICEF laments 53,000 unimmunised children in Gombe

… appeals for support during next round of Polio, others immunisation campaigns

Bauchi Field Office of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed worry that Gombe State is burdened by a high number of not fewer than 53,000 immunisation zero-dose children.

The disclosure was made by the Chief of Field Office (CFO), Bauchi Field Office (BFO), Dr Nuzhat Rafique, in an interview on the sidelines of a two-day workshop on addressing malnutrition in Gombe State.

ALSO READ: Over 556,000 Bauchi children have never received vaccines — UNICEF laments

She said, “At the moment, Gombe is burdened by 53,000 children who have never been reached by any type of immunization known as zero dose. 28,000 of these children reside in Dukku, Akko, Nafada, Kaltungo and Yamaltu-Deba LGA’s also described as Zero Dose LGAs or high risk LGAs.”

She appealed to all stakeholders in Gombe State to see themselves as warriors in the fight against polio during the last chance to eradicate the disease in Nigeria.

The Chief of Field Office stated that, “2025 is the last year we have as a chance to eradicate polio from Nigeria.”

Nuzhat Rafique disclosed that these high-risk LGAs need special support because they are areas where families are not accepting of getting their children immunised.

She said, “We need to put in all the efforts, all types of counselling from the household levels, community levels, work with traditional rulers and religious leaders to really go to these houses and convince them to get their children vaccinated.

“Because they are putting all children in Nigeria at risk by not being vaccinated. We can not accept that, we have to change the situation to make Nigeria polio-free.

“All non-compliant houses need to be compliant now. We have to do all the struggle and leave no stone unturned to make these children compliant and treat each and every child most vulnerable, most deprived and most marginalised.

“The whole world is looking at us and we have to make sure that every child is vaccinated.”

She also said that in Gombe State, the forthcoming polio campaign planned for 24th to 30th April, 2025, must take on a warrior like posture involving every stakeholders if the desired result must be achieved.

“The attention of the world is on Nigeria because it is still having circulation of the virus of polio. Nigeria has been reporting cases last year, so we have Nigeria as a high risk country and we have a really serious situation because the burden of the disease. The number in Nigeria is huge”, she revealed.

For Gombe State, she said, “No one should be left behind in this fight and this is only possible if we have inputs right from the household level, from communities, from traditional, religious leaders, LGA Chairmen and Deputies, Legislators, Councillors, the Governor, Deputy, all Commissioners, Executive Secretaries. We need everybody to be a warrior in this war,” the UNICEF Chief emphasised.