Polio and the fate of unvaccinated children in Katsina State

By Abbas Bamalli

Poliomyelitis, popularly known as polio is a virus can cause paralysis for an unvaccinated child, usually under the age of five. Experts say it leads to paralysis and sometimes can be life threatening.

“The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle for example, contaminated water or food“, said a World Health Organisation (WHO) report.

There is no cure for polio, though it is preventable using the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV).

Nigeria was declared wild poliovirus-free in 2020. However, the circulating Variant Polio Virus2 (cVPV2) strain transmission continues. In 2022 alone, Nigeria reported 168 cases.

In spite of Nigeria being declared polio-free Nigeria, Katsina State still has the highest number of unvaccinated children.

On May 15, the Katsina State Government in collaboration with the UNICEF commenced a routine immunisation in the state, targeting 2.9 million children.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Secretary, Katsina State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr Shamsuddeen Yahaya, said the first phase of the exercise will cover 13 out of the 34 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.

According to him, the immunisation also covered other vaccine-preventable diseases and also targeted children Under 59 months.

Yahaya explained that the agency was working with other development partners and NGOs to ensure that children in area were reached in spite of the security challenges.

“Although Nigeria has been certified polio-free since 2020, the country has two circulating variants of the polio virus which has the potential to spread and cause serious a setback.

“Based on that, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) and all other partners deemed it fit to carry out this campaign to strengthen our immunity.

“Also it was aimed at ensuring that the virus does not creep back into our communities. Other routine immunisation services will be continued in order to ensure that the state has healthy children“, he said.

Yáhaya explained that the agency has since embarked on a series of campaigns and conferences among other activities aimed at mobilising the communities to come out and take the vaccines.

In his speech, Dr Ogu Enemaku, a social and behaviour change specialist with UNICEF Kano field office said the exercise was a very important development.

Dr Ogu Enemaku, a social and behaviour change specialist with UNICEF Kano field office

He said that Katsina has the highest number of unvaccinated children in the country hence it is an opportunity to vaccinate all of them.
“This flag off is very important, because it’s not polio alone, routine immunisation is also part of it.
“So, it’s an opportunity to have as many unvaccinated children vaccinated. UNICEF is fully supporting this initiative in Katsina State.
“My message to the general public is that vaccination is safe, free and the easiest way to keep our family healthy. Therefore, every family or caregiver should make the children available to be vaccinated.”
In an interview with NAN, Alhaji Hassan Isa, the Magajin Garin Batagarawa, said the exercise was a welcome development, especially in their rural communities.

Alhaji Hassan Isa, the Magajin Garin Batagarawa

According to him, for many years the immunisation was carried out, but there was no success like now because the traditional, religious and Community leaders were not involved in the exercise.
He explained that the involvement of religious and traditional leader would help in mobilising the people to accept the vaccine.
According to him, the exercise has been recording huge success in recent times because the general public were informed about it through the religious leaders and support from traditional rulers who mobilise their communities using town criers.
“Since the introduction of the polio immunisation, the community has not been experiencing paralysis among their children while deaths from other child killer diseases had drastically reduced.
Malama Hauwa Habib, a 45 year-old mother of 6, sacked by insecurity from Kandawa community in Batsari LGA of the state also embraced the immunisation exercise.

A town crier mobilising the neigbourhood 

He said, “Since the introduction of the polio immunization, the community has not been experiencing sicknesses or defects in children related to the disease.

Malama Hauwa Habib, a 45 year old mother of 6, sacked by insecurity from Kandawa community in Batsari LGA of the state also embraced the immunization exercise.

Health workers administering OPV on a child

“My daughter is now five weeks old, and I have to present her for the vaccination because all my children have been vaccinated in our village.

“When I compare my children with those that were not vaccinated, I understand more the importance of the vaccination because my children are always looking healthier than them.

“ I am not in my village at the moment, we left our community because of the insecurity, but I still insisted that my five weeks old baby must be vaccinated,” Hauwa said.

Experts say the efforts to vaccinate every child in Kastina State should be sustained because no child is safe when one child is not vaccinated.

(NAN)