Bauchi: The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in collaboration with the Bauchi State Government has embarked on a significant initiative to mobilize traditional rulers to ensure a massive polio vaccine uptake and compliance by 2025 in the state. This strategic move aims to enhance community participation and awareness, crucial for eradicating polio in the region.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of UNICEF’s Field Office in Bauchi, expressed her appreciation for the active involvement of the Emir during the monitoring of the vaccination exercise in Ningi Local Government Area. Represented by Mr. Eki George, UNICEF’s Social Behaviour Change Specialist, Rafique emphasized the indispensable role traditional rulers play in promoting vaccine compliance and uptake. She acknowledged their leadership as a pivotal element in guiding communities towards achieving comprehensive vaccination coverage.
Rafique highlighted the importance of having traditional rulers present during the monitoring exercises, noting that their involvement would significantly encourage and boost vaccine uptake, particularly among those previously non-compliant. The campaign’s objective is to ensure that all zero-dose children in the state receive the life-saving vaccine, with a continuous push for parental consent, especially from fathers, for their children’s vaccination.
UNICEF has affirmed its commitment to supporting all local government areas, communities, and the state in ensuring the vaccination of eligible children, aiming to eliminate polio from Bauchi State and Nigeria entirely.
Furthermore, Alhaji Othman Usman, Emir of Dass and Chairman of the Bauchi State Emirate Councils Committee on Health (BASECCOH), reiterated the dedication of traditional institutions to eradicating polio in the state. He assured that traditional rulers would actively participate in community mobilization to address vaccine hesitancy and non-compliance.
The Emir of Dass, alongside the Emir of Ningi, Alhaji Haruna Danyaya, and other religious and community leaders, have been engaging with communities known for non-compliance. Their efforts include sensitizing residents to facilitate health workers’ access to households for vaccinating eligible children. The Emirs have also worked closely with local Malams and Imams, who previously resisted the vaccine but have now shown support.
The campaign is witnessing positive shifts in attitudes towards vaccination, with symbolic gestures like an Imam vaccinating children, marking a promising turn in overcoming resistance.