Religious, traditional leaders’ sensitisation drives Polio vaccination success in Bauchi

Segun Babatunde Awofadeji, Bauchi

In Bauchi State,Household heads, caregivers and service providers have attributed the successful Polio vaccination exercise  during the ongoing immunisation campaign to the massive sensitisation and enlightenment efforts by religious and traditional leaders in the various communities across the state.

Recall that the Bauchi state government with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other development partners last Friday flagged off the 2025 polio immunisation campaign in the state.

Speaking during the flagging off at Tirwun community in Bauchi metropolis, the State Executive Chairman, Primary Healthcare Development Agency,Dr Rilwanu Mohammed, said the campaign is aimed to vaccinate all under five children in the state.

The Executive chairman explained that special attention would be given to zero-dose children, which are those children who have not received any vaccination before.

According to him, Bauchi state received a total of 2.5 million doses of Novel Oral Polio vaccine(NOPV) for the exercise, saying that the state engaged the services of 160 monitors, including CSOs that will ensure the smooth success of the polio vaccination exercise.

Our Correspondent who was at Dindima and Tudun Gambo settlements in Galambi Ward of Bauchi Local Government Area of the State to monitor the level of compliance in the House – to- House campaign in the area observed that some known non-compliant and resistant fathers who do not allow their children to be vaccinated were seen leading others to going around their communities to ensure that no child is left behind during the exercise.

Also going through the tally sheet of team 157 in Dindima settlement at about 10:48 am, shows that 137 children were immunized with only 2 children missed because they have gone to Islamiya School. The house was duly marked for a revisit by the team supervisor, Jibrin Abubakar.

Speaking with Journalists on the exercise, House – to – House team 146 Supervisor in Tudun Gambo settlement, Hajiya Lubabatu Hashimu said that, she noticed significant improvement in vaccines acceptance in the ongoing April round.

The supervisor also said that the Two Days DoPV before the commencement of the house- to- house has given the teams an opportunity to vaccinate a greater number of the children.

Asked whether she had a non compliance case as of day two of the campaign, the team supervisor said that there was a case of one house with 3 children, but that the case was before the community leaders of Tudum Gambo and there was the prospect of resolving it.

Lubabatu attributed most of the successes being recorded in the April round of IPDs to mobilization efforts of Volunteer Community Mobilizers (VCMs), religious and traditional leaders that were consistently moving from house to house to create demand for the Immunization.

Malam Abdullahi Mohammed, a father of seven told our Correspondent that he presented two children for vaccination due to its health benefits.

Mohammed said that  previous vaccine rejection in the community had ended following massive sensitisation by religious and traditional leaders.

On how to further strengthen immunization uptake, a household head, Mallam Adamu Abdullahi stressed on motivating Community Resource Groups by improving their stipends. He further emphasized on the need for community leaders to share what is working well or not in addressing non compliance.

“When a community shares how they were able to resolve non compliance, other communities can draw lessons and apply the same good practice in their settlements too”, Mallam Abdullahi proffered.

While commenting on the assessment of the IPDs on Day 2 of implementation, the Bauchi Local Government Immunization Officer (LIO), Mohammed Abba commended UNICEF BFO for deploying Community Mobilizers to create demand for the Immunization Campaign.

“As you have witnessed here in Dindima and Tudun Gambo settlements, the number of houses covered was quite impressive. This successes were the collective efforts of partners like UNICEF, WHO, AFENET and others that are supporting Bauchi LGA and the State at large in the implementation of the April IPDs.

“I am optimistic that Bauchi LGA will meet its target in coverage at the end of the exercise by the will of Allah”, said the LIO. END