Sokoto State Government has launched an integrated immunisation campaign aimed at vaccinating no fewer than 2.8 million children against polio, measles, rubella, and the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) across the state.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto disclosed this on Monday during the official flag-off ceremony held in Bodinga town, Bodinga Local Government Area.
Aliyu said the ten-day exercise, which covers all 244 wards in the state, targets children aged between nine months and fourteen years as part of efforts to curb the spread of preventable childhood diseases.
He called on community and religious leaders, development partners, and stakeholders to mobilise parents and caregivers to ensure full participation in the campaign.
‘Nigeria currently records one of the highest numbers of measles and rubella infections globally,’ the governor warned, adding that failure to vaccinate children could lead to serious complications, including blindness, deafness, and even death.
Represented by his deputy, Alhaji Idris Mohammed Gobir, Governor Aliyu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery and promoting disease prevention through regular immunisation.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Faruk Umar Abubakar Wurno, announced that 1,378 vaccination teams had been deployed across the state, with each team comprising 11 trained health workers.
He added that Sokoto has received over three million doses of vaccines from the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and lauded the state government for promptly releasing its counterpart funding to support the exercise.
Also speaking, the representative of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Kabir Alhassan Cigari, who is the District Head of Wurno, pledged the continued support of traditional rulers in sensitising communities and mobilising parents to embrace the vaccination drive.
The campaign, officials said, forms part of the state’s renewed commitment to strengthening primary healthcare delivery and improving the well-being of children across Sokoto.