Jigawa State Vaccinates 2.6 Million Children Against Polio

Jigawa State has successfully vaccinated 2.6 million children against polio, surpassing its target with a coverage rate of 116% during the latest immunization campaign. Shehu Ibrahim, the state health information officer from the Jigawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency, disclosed this during a media stakeholder engagement held on Monday in Dutsinma.

The campaign reached children across 27 local government areas, with 5,551 cases of non-compliance recorded; however, 4,000 of these were resolved through community engagement, leaving 472 unresolved. Six local government areas—Auyo, Babura, Birnin Kudu, Malam Madori, Ringim, and Gwiwa—were identified as having weak social mobilization during the campaign.

Muhammad Abdullah, the executive secretary of the agency, commended health workers and partners for their success and emphasized the need to ensure every child is reached to keep Jigawa polio-free. Ashiru Ma Azu, the deputy state immunization officer, urged media collaboration to counter misinformation and promote vaccination, while Sani Yusuf highlighted the media's role in shaping public opinion.