By Our Correspondent

The Gombe State Government, in collaboration with development agencies, has officially launched the 2025 round of the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) campaign, aimed at eradicating polio and strengthening public health systems across the state.

The campaign was flagged off at a well-attended ceremony held at the Palace of the District Head of Kuri in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area.

Representing Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Task Force on Immunization, Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery and protecting children from preventable diseases.

He stressed the urgency of addressing the threat posed by the circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2), which has seen five recent detections in the state.

“Every child missed is a potential case,” he warned, urging community-wide participation to close immunization gaps.

Dr. Jatau called on religious and traditional leaders to actively combat vaccine hesitancy, especially in remote and underserved areas, and encouraged residents to make use of the free health services provided during the campaign.

The decision to launch the campaign in Kuri was based on concerning data showing low immunization coverage in the area, particularly among “zero-dose” children — those who have never received any vaccine. Health officials described the situation as dangerous and a significant threat to public health.

Speaking earlier at the event, Dr. Gambo Kashere, Board Chairman of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, thanked the state government for its commitment to strengthening the health sector across all 11 LGAs of Gombe State.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Shuaibu, who was represented by Dr. Maryam Abubakar, assured that efforts would be intensified to ensure the campaign reaches hard-to-reach areas for the successful eradication of polio in the state.

Health officials in Gombe State have commended the state government for its sustained investment in the healthcare sector, particularly in supporting efforts to eradicate polio.

Speaking during the official flag-off of the 2025 National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) campaign in Kuri, Board Chairman of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Gambo Kashere, praised the government’s commitment across all 11 local government areas of the state. He noted that the administration’s dedication was crucial to strengthening healthcare delivery and achieving disease control targets.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Shuaibu, represented by Dr. Maryam Abubakar, pledged that the campaign would prioritize reaching hard-to-access communities.

She stressed that every effort would be made to ensure no child is left behind, reinforcing the state’s determination to completely eliminate polio.

Traditional leaders, including the Emir of Yamaltu, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, and the Emir of Deba, Alhaji Ahmad Usman Mohammed, pledged their support to the campaign and commended the state government, development partners, and healthcare workers for their continued efforts.

Speaking at the event, the Chief of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, raised concerns over the high numbers of unreached children in Gombe.

She highlighted Dukku, Kwami, Funakaye, and Yamaltu-Deba LGAs as high-risk zones where immunization coverage remains critically low.

Represented by UNICEF Health Officer Oluseyi Olusunde, Dr. Nuzhat emphasized that although Nigeria was declared free of wild poliovirus in 2020, outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus persist.

She called for intensified efforts to eliminate noncompliance among parents and urged traditional rulers to address misinformation surrounding vaccines.

Also delivering a goodwill message, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, warned of a resurgence of preventable diseases if immunization campaigns are not sustained.

He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s polio eradication efforts and expressed optimism that polio could be completely eliminated by the end of 2025.

Gombe State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, reassured parents of the safety and effectiveness of the oral polio vaccine, urging stakeholders to ensure every eligible child is vaccinated.

“Immunizing your child protects them from multiple life-threatening diseases,” he stated.

The NIPDs campaign will cover all 11 LGAs in Gombe State and is expected to reach hundreds of thousands of children under five with life-saving polio vaccines and additional healthcare services.

By Muhammad Jamil Abubakar

UNICEF has raised alarm over the high number of unreached and unvaccinated children in Gombe State as the government, in collaboration with development partners, officially launched the 2025 round of the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) campaign.

Speaking at the flag-off ceremony held at the Kuri District Head Palace in Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area, Chief of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, represented by UNICEF Health Officer Oluseyi Olusunde, identified Dukku, Kwami, Funakaye, and Yamaltu-Deba as high-risk areas with critically low immunization coverage. She emphasized that despite Nigeria’s certification as free of wild poliovirus in 2020, outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus persist, posing a renewed threat to public health.

Dr. Rafique called for intensified community engagement to eliminate vaccine noncompliance and urged traditional leaders to play a greater role in countering misinformation and boosting vaccine acceptance. “We want to end this campaign with no rejection,” she said, stressing that 2025 is a crucial year for Nigeria to fully eradicate polio.

Flagging off the campaign on behalf of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, Gombe State Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Task Force on Immunisation, Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting children from preventable diseases. He highlighted the urgency of addressing the spread of circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2), with five recent detections in the state.

“Every child missed is a potential case,” Dr. Jatau warned, calling for community-wide participation to bridge immunization gaps. He also appealed to religious and traditional leaders to support efforts in dismantling vaccine hesitancy, especially among hard-to-reach populations.

The decision to launch the campaign in Kuri was informed by data indicating low vaccination rates, particularly among zero-dose children—those who have never received any vaccine. Health officials described the situation as a significant public health risk.

Traditional leaders, including the Emir of Yamaltu, Abubakar Aliyu, and the Emir of Deba, Alhaji Ahmad Usman Mohammed, pledged their full support to the campaign, commending the state government, healthcare workers, and development partners for their efforts.

Also speaking, World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, warned against the risk of preventable disease resurgence if immunization efforts are not sustained. He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s eradication drive, expressing optimism that polio would be fully eliminated by the end of 2025.

Gombe State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, reassured parents about the safety and effectiveness of the oral polio vaccine, urging families to ensure their children are immunized. “Immunizing your child protects them from multiple life-threatening diseases,” he emphasized.

The NIPDs campaign is expected to cover all 11 Local Government Areas in Gombe State, targeting hundreds of thousands of children under five with life-saving polio vaccines and additional healthcare services.

By Muhammad Jamil Abubakar

The Gombe State Government, in partnership with development agencies, has officially launched the 2025 round of the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) campaign.

It is aimed at eradicating polio and strengthening public health systems across the state.

The campaign was flagged off at a well-attended ceremony held at the Kuri District Head Palace in Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area.

Representing Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, the Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Task Force on Immunisation, Dr. Manassah Daniel Jatau, reaffirmed the state’s commitment to improving healthcare delivery and protecting children from preventable diseases.

He stressed the urgency of addressing the threat posed by circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2), which has seen five recent detections.

“Every child missed is a potential case,” he warned, urging community wide participation to close immunization gaps.

He called on religious and traditional leaders to actively combat vaccine hesitancy, especially in remote and underserved areas, and encouraged residents to make use of the free health services provided during the campaign.

The decision to launch the campaign in Kuri was based on concerning data showing low immunization coverage in the area, particularly among zero-dose children those who have never received any vaccine. Health officials described the situation as dangerous and a significant threat to public health.

Traditional leaders including the Emir of Yamaltu, Abubakar Aliyu, and the Emir of Deba, Alhaji Ahmad Usman Mohammed, pledged their support to the campaign and commended the state government, development partners, and healthcare workers for their continued efforts.

Speaking at the event, Chief of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, Dr Nuzhat Rafique raised concern over high numbers of unreached children in Gombe.

She highlighted four local government areas of Dukku, Kwami, Funakaye, and Yamaltu-Deba as high-risk zones where immunization coverage remains critically low.

Dr. Nuzhat who was represented by UNICEF Health Officer Oluseyi Olusunde emphasized that while Nigeria was declared free of wild poliovirus in 2020, outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus persist.

She called for intensified efforts to eliminate noncompliance among parents and urged traditional rulers to address misinformation surrounding vaccines.

Also delivering a goodwill message, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, warned against the resurgence of preventable diseases if immunization campaigns are not sustained.

He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s polio eradication efforts, expressing optimism that polio would be completely eliminated by the end of 2025.

Gombe State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, reassured parents of the safety and effectiveness of the oral polio vaccine, urging stakeholders to ensure every eligible child is vaccinated.

“Immunizing your child protects them from multiple life-threatening diseases,” he stated.

The NIPDs campaign will span across all 11 LGAs in Gombe State and is expected to reach hundreds of thousands of children under five with life-saving polio vaccines and additional healthcare services.