By The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has supplied over 2.5 million doses of Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to the Bauchi State government ahead of a statewide vaccination campaign targeting children under five.
Speaking at the cold storage facility of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) in Bauchi, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, announced that the exercise will run from April 24 to 29, 2025. She stressed the need for public awareness to maximize participation.
“Bauchi is a high-priority state with 13 out of 20 local government areas having a large number of ‘zero-dose’ children who have never received any vaccine. That’s about 556,000 children at extremely high risk,” Dr. Rafique stated.
She urged stakeholders and community leaders to mobilize parents, particularly in high-risk areas, to ensure full coverage.
Representing the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Bappah Jika confirmed the arrival of the vaccines and expressed gratitude to UNICEF for its ongoing support in the fight against polio.
