The Bauchi Field Office (BFO) of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has resolved sixteen cases of non-compliance during the ongoing polio vaccination campaign in Darazo and Ganjuwa Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Bauchi State.
The disclosure was made by the Chief of Field Office (CFO), Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, when she led a team to the LGAs to monitor the exercise, assuring that UNICEF will continue to employ diplomatic approaches in resolving cases of non-compliance.
Dr. Nuzhat Rafique was accompanied during the monitoring exercise by a team of vaccinators, members of Fathers for Good Health, Village Community Mobilizers, and the media in Ganjuwa and Darazo LGAs of Bauchi State.
According to her, although cases of non-compliance were recorded in the states of Gombe, Plateau, Adamawa, Taraba, and Bauchi — which make up the Bauchi Field Office coverage area — the team comprising Fathers for Good Health, Village Community Mobilizers, LGA Coordinators, along with the UNICEF team, has been going from house to house, engaging fathers and mothers to address the issue of non-compliance, which has yielded positive results.
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She stated, “The UNICEF team has visited all the high-risk LGAs in Bauchi State, and there are almost nine LGAs classified as zero-dose areas, meaning these LGAs have children who have never been vaccinated.”
She added, “I was in Ganjuwa LGA yesterday (Sunday) and Darazo today (Monday), and I observed that the teams are working under very difficult conditions. Nevertheless, they are dedicated, going from house to house despite the hot weather. We visited all the non-compliant houses and successfully resolved sixteen cases of non-compliance, ensuring that the children were immunized.”
Dr. Nuzhat Rafique emphasized, “No matter the number of non-compliance cases that may still exist, the good news is that our teams are resolving them, and more children who had never been reached are now being immunized.”
She stressed further, “My prayer is that, in this current exercise, no child is left behind. I want every child to be vaccinated because 2025 is the last year of support for this clean-up.”
She continued, “We still have circulating poliovirus in Nigeria, and it remains one of the few countries where polio must still be eradicated. We need to go to every extent to reach the last child, ensuring that every child is vaccinated in this campaign. So far, the response has been one hundred percent.”
Dr. Rafique also commended the support of traditional rulers in the immunization campaign, noting that they have been actively participating to ensure that every child is vaccinated.
She lauded the traditional leaders, describing them as the backbone of society, and praised their dedication and commitment to the exercise, stating that their contributions are greatly appreciated.
According to her, “Today, I met the District Head of Darazo and thanked him for his dedication and support. Similarly, I am deeply grateful to all the Emirs and Royal Highnesses for their invaluable support toward this campaign.”
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