The Sokoto State Government has directed officials involved in the ongoing immunization exercise in the state to report any case of non-compliance encountered in the field.
The directive was issued by the Deputy Governor Idris Mohammed during the United Nations Representative’s meeting with Local Government Chairmen, Religious, and Traditional Leaders at the Command Guest Inn, Sokoto.
According to a statement issued by the Director Press Affairs, Deputy Governor’s office, Garba Mohammed, the state government has restated its commitment to eradicate the disease.
Gobir, who said that the state has the personnel, resources and capacity to bring an end to polio virus in the state, noted that the government has already inaugurated state standing committee and sub- committees at local and wards levels to address such cases of resistance.
On his part, the Sokoto State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruk Abubakar noted that non-compliance and inaccurate data collection were major obstacles to the polio eradication campaign.
“Efforts are being made to address these challenges and ensure complete immunization coverage across the state,” he said.
The UNICEF Country Representative in Nigeria, Mrs. Christian Munduate, revealed that the Sokoto North and South recorded the highest cases of polio virus in the country.
The UNICEF representative raised concerns that some parents and vaccinators engage in fake fingerprint marking to falsely indicate that children have been immunized.
“To overcome these challenges, we must strengthen community engagement and ensure accountability in the immunization process,” she urged.
