October 25, (THEWILL) — The Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr Faruk Umar Abubakar, has described as huge significance, the success of over 1.5 million children being vaccinated in its latest immunisation exercise.
He stated this while addressing Journalists in Sokoto on Friday, during World Polio Day commemoration. Abubakar described the achievement as a product of collective dedication and unwavering commitment by health workers, traditional rulers, and development partners.
According to him, the number has surpassed its original target of 1.4 million children.
The commissioner said the state government had recently provided funds to support local immunisation campaigns and strengthen routine vaccination systems..
He commended frontline health workers, community mobilisers, and partner organisations, including UNICEF, WHO, CDC, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, for their role in sustaining public confidence and expanding immunisation coverage.
“Our journey toward a polio-free Sokoto is not yet over, but our progress shows what unity and commitment can achieve. Every child deserves protection from this preventable disease, and we will not relent until no child is left unvaccinated”, the commissioner said.
While celebrating the success, he noted that a few local government areas, such as Bodinga, Shagari, and Wamakko, fell below the 90 percent coverage benchmark set by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
He said the state has already begun targeted vaccination efforts in those areas to ensure every settlement is reached.
Abubakar also highlighted other ongoing interventions, including deploying 209 qualified health workers across 109 primary health centres to strengthen grassroots immunisation and integrating vaccination with maternal and child health services.
He cited border communities as a persistent challenge due to cross-border population movements, calling for continued collaboration between Sokoto and neighboring states to sustain the gains achieved so far.
Also speaking to journalists, Michael Juma, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office for Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara States, commended the state’s performance.
He described it as a remarkable example of political will and community resilience, adding that “vaccination coverage has reached about 120 percent across the three states, translating to over 5.3 million children immunised as a result of strong collaboration.”
He, however, noted that about 3,000 households across the three states remain resistant or unreachable and called for increased social mobilisation to overcome vaccine hesitancy.
“We have resolved 86 percent of non-compliance cases, but we must reach every single household. The media, community leaders, and health workers all have a critical role in achieving total eradication.”
