The Zamfara State Government has launched an aggressive polio immunisation campaign targeting about 1.6 million children across the state.
This follows a worrying resurgence of the disease after two years of zero recorded cases.
The exercise, which commenced on Saturday, is being implemented across all 14 Local Government Areas and 147 wards, with health workers and ad hoc staff fully deployed to ensure wide coverage.
The Executive Secretary of the Zamfara State Primary Health Care Board, Dr. Hussaini Anka, disclosed this during a news briefing in Gusau, the state capital.
He noted that the campaign had earlier been officially flagged off by Governor Dauda Lawal at a health facility in the city.
“The campaign has commenced fully today across the fourteen local government areas of the state,” Dr. Anka said, expressing confidence in the preparedness of health teams.
He explained that the immunisation drive is being supported by several development partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Sultan Foundation, Chigari Foundation, the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and eHealth Africa.
According to him, the campaign will deploy two types of vaccines — oral drops and injectable doses — to strengthen immunity among children and provide enhanced protection against the poliovirus.
Dr. Anka, however, raised concern over the recent reappearance of polio cases in the state, revealing that 10 cases have been recorded so far.
He broke down the figures to include six cases in Gumi Local Government Area, two in Tsafe, and one case each in Bakura and Maru Local Government Areas.
The ES described the development as alarming, especially given that Zamfara recorded zero polio cases in both 2023 and 2024.
The resurgence, he said, is partly linked to insecurity, which has previously limited access to some remote communities during immunisation exercises.
Safety of vaccination teams
To address this, Dr. Anka stated that the state government, in collaboration with local government authorities and security agencies, has put measures in place to ensure the safety of vaccination teams and improve access to hard-to-reach areas.
To boost participation, he disclosed that incentives would be provided to children after vaccination, noting that each eligible child would receive a token item to encourage acceptance.
He added that extensive sensitisation campaigns have been carried out, particularly engaging traditional and religious leaders to tackle vaccine hesitancy in some communities.
“Engagements were also held with private school proprietors and Parent-Teacher Associations, who have now agreed to allow vaccination teams access to their schools.”
While public schools have already complied with government directives, Dr. Anka appealed to parents and caregivers to support the exercise by making their children available for vaccination.
He also called on the media to intensify public awareness efforts, emphasizing that sustained enlightenment and community cooperation are essential to the success of the campaign and the ultimate eradication of polio in Zamfara State.
