UNICEF Seeks Traditional Leaders’ Support For Statewide Polio Campaign In Bauchi

By Sani Adamu Hassan

The United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF has seek the support of traditional institutions toward ensuring that all children in Bauchi state have been immunized during the upcoming Polio Campaign.

The UNICEF Chief of Bauchi Field Office Dr Nuzhat Rafique made the plea on Friday when she lead her team on a courtesy visit to the Emir of Dass Alh Usman Bilyamu Othman in his Palace.

Dr Nuzhat Rafique said the Polio vaccination campaign exercise is to hold in all the 20 local governments of Bauchi state starting from 24 to 30 of April, 2025.

She also stress the need to work with the traditional leaders in ensuring that the exercise reach out to all children in the State with a view to continued eradicating Polio in Nigeria.

The UNICEF Chief while expressing her concern on the statistics of over 556,000 children with zero doses in 13 LGAs, pledge her commitment to work with the traditional institutions in going round places with a view to ensure the compliance of the immunisation campaign.

Dr Nuzhat Rafique therefore commended Dass local government for it’s effort in ensuring that children in the LGA received routine immunisation which lead her to be out of the Zero doses LGAs as well as open defecation free.

In his response, the Emir of Dass Alh Usman Bilyamu Othman pledge his determination in ensuring that all the LGAs comply during the Polio immunisation campaign.

The Emir who is also the Chairman Bauchi State Emirate Council la Committee on Health BASECCOH reveal that the breakthrough in 13 LGAs among the Zero doses was as a result of decline active support by all stakeholders, stating that steps are being taken to ensure everything is doing well by mobilizing and monitoring all the exercise as well as total compliance by the citizens of the state.

Our Health correspondent Sani Adamu Hassan quoted the Emir of Dass saying that BASECCOH is working tirelessly with Chigari and Sultan Foundation in sensitizing people on the importance of given out their children to be vaccinated during the routine immunisation in the State.