NIGERIA: UNICEF Donates 2.5 Million Polio Vaccines To Bauchi, Targets 556,000 Unvaccinated Children

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has donated 2.5 million doses of Oral Polio Vaccines to Bauchi State as part of efforts to eradicate polio and improve child immunization coverage.

The vaccines, now stored at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, will be administered in a statewide campaign from April 24 to April 29.

UNICEF’s Chief Field Officer in Bauchi, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, made the announcement on Thursday, emphasizing the urgent need for awareness campaigns to ensure high participation.

She noted that Bauchi has a significant number of “zero-dose” children those who have never received any vaccine particularly in 13 out of the state’s 20 local government areas.

“Almost 556,000 children in Bauchi have never been vaccinated. This campaign aims to reach every child under five, with a special focus on these zero-dose children so that they are no longer left unprotected,” Rafique said.

She urged communities to cooperate with health teams and mobilize families to participate in the vaccination exercise, stressing that immunization is crucial for securing the future health of children.

UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office Health Officer, Patrick Akor, assured that the agency had provided sufficient vaccines and essential materials, including pen markers for finger marking vaccinated children.

Bappah Jika, a representative of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board, confirmed the receipt of the vaccines and expressed gratitude for UNICEF’s support, describing it as a “life-saving intervention” for the state’s children.