Kano State is one of nine states in Nigeria that have recently experienced a polio outbreak, according to the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
During a high-level meeting with government officials and development partners, Rahama Farah, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office in Kano, sounded the alarm.
He disclosed that low routine immunization coverage, particularly in high-risk areas, was a major factor in the recent circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2) outbreak.
Farah reports that in 2024, there were 83 confirmed cases of cVPV2, which is concerning since it undermines Nigeria’s efforts to eradicate polio.
Thousands of children, particularly in remote areas, have not had the chance to get a polio vaccine, and the states of Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa have some of the highest rates of new cases.
Kano is one of the biggest reservoirs of unvaccinated children in Nigeria, and UNICEF is deeply concerned about the huge number of “zero-dose” children in the state.
Local governments, traditional leaders, and health stakeholders are being urged by the agency to take immediate and concerted action in order to improve routine immunization programs and community outreach. Kano State’s governor, Abba Yusuf, has reiterated the administration’s goal of eradicating polio by June 2025.
To guarantee that all children receive the vaccines that can save their lives, he promised to fund healthcare infrastructure and community-based health programs.
In order to combat the epidemic and avoid the return of vaccine-preventable diseases, the Nigerian government has the unwavering backing of UNICEF, the WHO, and GAVI, among others.