June 12, (THEWILL) – The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Faruk Umar Abubakar, has revealed that no fewer than 2,709 vaccination teams have been deployed across the 244 wards of the state.
Faruk disclosed this at a media roundtable organised by UNICEF Sokoto Office for Journalists, On-Air Personalities (OAP), and social media influencers in the state.
Giving the breakdown, the Commissioner said 2,057 for house-to-house teams, 488 as special outreach teams, and 244 fixed-site teams have been trained for the June round of the Outbreak Response (OBR 2) immunisation campaign across the state.
He highlighted the important role played by the media, saying, “Journalists are key to any society’s development, and you have demonstrated a high level of professionalism during the last polio immunisation exercise.”
He also commended UNICEF for championing the cause of polio-free eradication in the state.
“I will also applaud the state governor’s support for the Ministry of Health in ensuring its discharge of the core mandate and responsibility.
“Likewise, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, for mobilising other traditional and community leaders across the state for the success put in place by the partners to eradicate polio in the state.
“The data from the state’s health agency still indicated there are challenges, but we are determined to make a bold success.
“The infection of one child has the potential to affect 200 children; ninety-five percent of the children under the age of five must continue to receive polio oral vaccines until the virus is eradicated.”
Faruk also warned against manipulation of immunisation data, stating that any healthcare worker found guilty of falsifying figures or skipping assigned households will be dismissed and replaced with competent personnel.
Earlier, Ibrahim Isa, the Officer In Charge of UNICEF Sokoto Field Office, said the meeting is critical to the successful campaign for polio OBR Round 2 immunisation across the State.
He noted that UNICEF judged the media as a great institution of communication for a less vulnerable society.
“We have noted the commitment of the state government for their efforts and total commitment to see the state as a polio-free state”, Ibrahim emphasised.
Some of the UNICEF teams spoke on various reporting approaches the media can deploy in their stories to project the successes recorded in eradicating the poliovirus and other vaccine-preventable diseases in the State.
Tunde Omolehin is an award-winning Journalist with prose in investigative and storytelling that is connecting the dots between the under-reported communities and policymakers to ensure good governance and accountability.
