The Katsina State Government says it will target 2,688,730 children aged 0 to 59 months during its November 2026 polio vaccination campaign across 28 local government areas.
Dr Shaimau Abba, acting executive secretary of the State Primary Health Care Agency, said this in Katsina on Thursday at a news conference organised in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Represented by Dr Mukhtar Mahmud, state health educator, Abba said the campaign aimed to protect children against poliovirus and sustain progress towards polio eradication.
She said 28 local government areas would take part in the campaign, while six would not participate in this round.
The campaign would target children aged 0 to 59 months, using several strategies to reach all eligible children, she said. These would include directly observed vaccination, transit-point special teams, house-to-house teams, fixed posts and temporary vaccination posts.
Abba said the operational schedule would include two days of directly observed vaccination, four days of house-to-house vaccination and two days of mobile vaccination activities.
She added that mop-up activities would provide further opportunities to reach eligible children missed during the campaign.
Vaccination services would include the novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2), bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) and fractional inactivated polio vaccine (fIPV), in line with approved guidelines and eligibility criteria, she said.
The campaign would also integrate other essential health interventions through Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Week and complementary programmes, to improve access to preventive healthcare for children and pregnant women.
Abba highlighted the role of media organisations, social media influencers, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and other stakeholders in building public confidence and encouraging caregivers to take part.
She urged journalists and other communications stakeholders to share accurate, timely and consistent information about the campaign through traditional and digital platforms.
She also called on them to promote the importance of vaccinating every eligible child, including those who had received polio vaccines during previous campaigns.
Abba urged media practitioners to counter rumours and misinformation with verified information and refer technical questions to authorised health officials.
She encouraged stakeholders to use their platforms and networks to persuade parents and caregivers to welcome vaccination teams and bring their children for immunisation.
She also urged participants to convey community concerns and feedback to campaign authorities to support effective implementation.
Abba said the agency was committed to working with UNICEF, the media and other development partners to ensure the campaign’s success.
“Through accurate communication, community engagement and collective action, we can ensure that no child is missed. Together, let us end polio and protect every child in Katsina State,” she said.
