WHO Seeks School Support for Polio Vaccination
By Maikudi Muhammad Marafa
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on primary school headteachers—both public and private—to grant full access for polio vaccination teams to immunize children within school premises, as part of ongoing efforts to protect pregnant women and under-five children from preventable diseases.
I’m a statement signed by Abdullahi Musa Gyadi-Gyadi Zonal Information officer Dr. Sayyid Abubakar, the WHO representative overseeing Kano Central Local Governments, made the appeal during a meeting of the Municipal Local Government Polio Vaccination Task Force held at the local government secretariat.
In a statement issued by the Zonal Information Officer, Kano Municipal Zone, Abdullahi Musa Gyadi Gyadi, Kano Municipal Zone disclosed that, Dr. Abubakar cautioned that excluding children in private and voluntary schools from vaccination exercises could pose a threat to their health and undermine broader public health goals.
He expressed appreciation to the Municipal Local Government Council, led by Alhaji Salim Hashim Idris Gwangwazo, for its continuous support of health programmes. Representing the chairman, the Supervisory Councillor for Health, Alhaji Mustapha Usman Darma, reaffirmed the council’s commitment to safeguarding the health of women and children. He urged parents to ensure their eligible children receive the polio vaccine.
The Area Primary Healthcare Coordinator, Alhaji Lawan Jafar, explained that regular review meetings are essential for assessing achievements and challenges from previous vaccination rounds and for developing strategies to improve results. He praised village and ward heads, as well as community and religious leaders, for their sustained support and encouraged them to maintain the momentum in the ongoing campaign.
He further urged vaccination teams to collaborate closely with local leaders to guarantee full participation of all targeted children under five.
WHO’s Local Government Representative, Hajiya Safiyya Usman Abdu, revealed that the previous campaign vaccinated 184,379 children—achieving coverage of over 90 percent. The current round aims to vaccinate 97,664 children out of a target of 103,750.
She added that vaccinators and supervisors have been adequately trained, and sensitization meetings with ward and village heads, community leaders, and religious groups have been conducted to ensure a successful exercise.
