The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised an alarm over the risk faced by over 2.3 million children in Nigeria who have missed their routine polio immunization.
The UN agency highlighted that these children are vulnerable to contracting the disease, with Bauchi State alone accounting for 22,000 unvaccinated children.
According to UNICEF, outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) remain a persistent challenge, with Bauchi State reporting 4 out of the 73 national polio cases in 2024.
Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, disclosed this during a road walk organized to mark the 2024 World Polio Day in Bauchi.
“Child deaths and physical disabilities that polio causes can be banished from Bauchi, Nigeria, and the world if we continue our commitment to stopping polio outbreaks,” Rafique stated.
She emphasized that to eliminate polio, “every child in every household must receive the vaccine.”
UNICEF expressed deep concern about the ongoing impact of polio on children’s lives, noting that despite significant efforts, many children are still being left behind.
“Unfortunately, thousands of children are still missing out. The global decline in childhood immunisation coverage has led to rising outbreaks, even in countries that have been polio-free for decades,” Rafique added.
For over two decades, UNICEF has actively supported Bauchi State’s Polio Eradication Initiatives and Immunization Plus Days (IPDs) campaigns. In 2024 alone, UNICEF supported three Statewide Polio Outbreak Response (OBR) campaigns and two targeted local campaigns across four Local Government Areas (LGAs), providing funding for vaccine logistics, social mobilisation, and technical assistance.
“It is heartwarming to note that Bauchi has been free of wild polio virus since the last case in 2013. However, we are still contending with the variant form of the virus,” Rafique noted. She cautioned that the continued spread of polio is “a crucial reminder that until we eradicate all forms of this disease, children everywhere remain at risk.”
UNICEF also highlighted the importance of Social and Behavior Change (SBC) strategies in increasing acceptance of the polio vaccine among parents and caregivers. “This is the essential first step toward achieving and sustaining high vaccination coverage,” Rafique explained.
UNICEF underscored the challenges in combating polio, particularly in the most difficult environments, but stressed that eradication is achievable. The agency delivers over 1 billion doses of polio vaccines globally each year, forming the largest portion of vaccine distribution worldwide.
The UN agency called on governments at all levels to prioritize polio vaccination for all children, especially in hard-to-reach areas with low immunisation rates, in order to strengthen the immunisation system. “We call to allocate critical technical and financial resources to local efforts to swiftly address outbreaks and guarantee that children are vaccinated,” Rafique urged.
She further encouraged the Bauchi Emirate Council to actively support the mobilization of parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive vaccinations, while addressing issues of non-compliance during and after immunization campaigns.
