UNICEF has expressed serious concerns about the high number of unvaccinated children in Gombe State.
Dr Nuzhat Rafique, the chief of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, disclosed his concern when he addressed attendees at the Kuri District Head Palace during the 2025 National Immunisation Plus Days campaign event in the Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area.
Dr Rafique specifically highlighted several areas within the region as posing a significant risk due to critically low immunisation coverage. These high-risk local government areas include Dukku, Kwami, Funakaye, and Yamaltu-Deba itself.
Dr. Rafique, represented by UNICEF Health Officer Oluseyi Olusunde, warned that outbreaks of vaccine-derived poliovirus continue to pose a serious public health threat.
She stressed the importance of intensified community engagement to combat vaccine rejection and misinformation, emphasising that “2025 is a crucial year to achieve polio eradication in Nigeria.”
Gombe State Deputy Governor and Chairman of the State Task Force on Immunisation, Dr Manassah Daniel Jatau, who flagged off the campaign on behalf of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting children from preventable diseases.
He raised concerns over the recent detection of five cases of circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2) in the state, warning, “Every child missed is a potential case.”
Dr Jatau appealed to traditional and religious leaders to mobilise their communities against vaccine hesitancy, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.
The choice of Kuri for the campaign launch was informed by alarming data showing a high number of “zero-dose” children—those who have never received any vaccine—posing a significant public health risk.
Traditional rulers, including the Emir of Yamaltu, Abubakar Aliyu, and the Emir of Deba, Alhaji Ahmad Usman Mohammed, pledged their full support to the campaign, commending the efforts of the government, health workers, and development partners.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Representative Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo warned against complacency, stressing the risk of disease resurgence if immunisation efforts falter. He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s polio eradication goal by the end of 2025.
Gombe State Commissioner for Health, Dr Habu Dahiru, reassured parents of the oral polio vaccine’s safety and urged families to ensure their children are fully immunised. “Immunising your child protects them from multiple life-threatening diseases,” he said.
The NIPDs campaign will cover all 11 local government areas in Gombe State, aiming to reach hundreds of thousands of children under five with polio vaccines and other essential healthcare services.
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