The Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency has called on media organisations to intensify public sensitisation ahead of the state’s upcoming polio vaccination campaign targeting 2.8 million children under the age of five.
The call was made during a media dialogue and mobilisation session organised in Katsina in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF, development partners and community stakeholders.
Speaking at the session, the Chief of UNICEF Field Office Kano Mr. Rahama Mohammed Farah, commended Katsina State for its steady progress in polio control but warned that the virus remains a threat if communities relax in supporting vaccination efforts.
According to him, despite the state’s commendable 90 percent performance in previous rounds, a few communities still battle misinformation and hesitation about vaccination.Farah said, “We still have parents who are reluctant because of rumours circulating in some areas.
This is why we need the media to strengthen awareness, correct misconceptions and help families understand that vaccines are safe.”He emphasised that radio stations, especially those serving rural areas, play a crucial role in reaching households with clear messages about routine immunisation which remains available daily in all primary health centres.
Also speaking, the representative of the Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, Dr. Mukhtar Mahmud, reaffirmed the state’s readiness for the new campaign, which will cover all 34 local government areas.He said the immunisation exercise will provide multiple child and maternal health services including polio vaccination, routine immunisation, vitamin A supplementation, azithromycin administration and deworming tablets.
Mahmud noted that teams have been fully prepared to ensure wide coverage. “We have door to door teams, fixed posts and mobile units that will reach even the hard to access communities. Our goal is to ensure that every eligible child is vaccinated,” he said.
He appealed to journalists, youth groups and community influencers to support the mobilisation process so that “no child is left behind once the campaign begins.”Over 3,700 personnel are expected to take part in the exercise, including house to house teams and special teams for markets and other high density areas.
Other speakers, including Ambassador Aminu Muhammad of the EOC and Dr. Sulaiman Haladu of the Polio Emergency Programme, urged parents to complete all vaccine doses for their children and reminded local councils to release funds promptly to support field operations.They stressed that collective responsibility remains essential for Katsina to maintain its progress and achieve full coverage in the forthcoming campaign.
