By Olayimika Raimi
Health authorities in Jigawa State have recorded a major milestone in the fight against polio, vaccinating over 2.6 million children under five during the latest immunisation campaign, exceeding the target with an impressive 116 per cent coverage.
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The State Health Information Officer of the Jigawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Shehu Ibrahim, disclosed this on Monday during a one-day media and stakeholders’ engagement held in Dutse. The event was organised with technical support from the UNICEF Kano Field Office.
Providing feedback on the March immunisation round, Ibrahim said the campaign successfully reached children across all 27 local government areas of the state.
Despite the success, 5,551 cases of vaccine non-compliance were recorded. Encouragingly, over 4,000 of these cases were resolved through intensified community engagement, leaving 472 unresolved.
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However, six local government areas, Auyo, Babura, Birnin Kudu, Malam-Madori, Ringim, and Gwiwa, were identified as having weak social mobilisation, highlighting gaps that need urgent attention ahead of future campaigns.
Representing the agency’s Executive Secretary, the Director of Public Health, Muhammad Abdullah, commended health workers and partners for their efforts but stressed the need for sustained momentum. “We cannot afford to relent. Every child must be reached if we are to keep Jigawa and Nigeria polio-free,” Abdullah said.
He also called on the media to intensify efforts in combating misinformation, a key driver of vaccine hesitancy in some communities.
The Deputy State Immunisation Officer, Ashiru Ma’azu, explained that the engagement aimed to strengthen collaboration with journalists to ensure accurate reporting and improved public awareness.
Similarly, Health Education Officer Sani Yusuf emphasised the media’s influence in shaping public perception. “The media shapes public opinion. We need you to tell parents that vaccines are safe and free,” Yusuf said.
A representative of the World Health Organization, Adamu Isa, was also present at the meeting. Participants agreed that sustained media engagement is critical to addressing remaining cases of non-compliance and ensuring that no child is missed in future immunisation drives.
