Jigawa Begins Polio, Measles Vaccination As State Receives 3.6m Dosage
By: Ahmed Aminu, Dutse
The Jigawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency (JSPHCDA) has received over 3.6 million doses of polio vaccines for administration to children under five years across the state.
This was disclosed by the Chief of UNICEF Kano Field Office, Mr. Rahama Rihood Muhammed Farah during the flag-off of the state’s 2025 Integrated Polio and Measles-Rubella (MR) Campaign at Gantsa town, Buji Local Government Area.
According to Mr. Farah, the Federal and Jigawa State Governments, in collaboration with UNICEF, have deployed 1,580 vaccination teams for the integrated vaccination campaign.
The UNICEF chief explained that the exercise would targeting over two million children under five for polio vaccination.
He added that the campaign, covering 287 political wards in the 27 local government areas of the state, also include the vaccination of over three million children aged nine months to 14 years against measles and rubella.
“The October 2025 integrated campaign will use fixed, temporary, and sweep team strategies,” Mr. Farah said, adding that UNICEF had supported the training and deployment of the 1,500 health workers and 264 Non-Compliance Resolution Teams (NCRTs) across the state.
Each of the 88 NCRT teams, he said, has a community influencer, traditional leader, and vaccinator, tasked with resolving noncompliance cases in real time during the exercise.
He further disclosed that JSPHCDA, with UNICEF support, has deployed 4 state facilitators, 18 LGA facilitators, 288 Voluntary Ward Supervisors, 74 Polio Survivor Groups, and 4,880 Voluntary Community Mobilizers for the October campaign.
Mr. Farah revealed that Jigawa recorded four cases of the circulating Variant Polio Virus (cVPV2) in 2025 in Sule Tankarkar, Hadejia, Gwaram, and Garki LGAs — a significant reduction compared to 12 cases reported across six LGAs in 2024.
He emphasized that the ongoing campaign was another opportunity to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases, and urged all stakeholders — from local government chairmen to community leaders and parents — to play active roles in getting every eligible child vaccinated.
“We expect no less than 95 percent coverage in Jigawa,” he stated. “UNICEF remains committed to supporting immunization efforts by providing technical assistance, strengthening community engagement, and ensuring no child is missed — especially in high-risk areas.”
Farah commended the dedication of health workers, volunteers, and traditional leaders, describing their contributions as “central to building a healthier future for Jigawa’s children.”
