UNICEF worries over rising polio cases in Kano
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised serious concerns over the escalating polio crisis in Kano State, warning that the region now has the highest number of unvaccinated children in Nigeria.
During an orientation session for 44 Local Government Area (LGA) chairmen and district heads, UNICEF’s Kano Chief of Field Office, Mr. Rahma Farah, revealed that more than a quarter of a million children in Kano have never received routine immunisation.
“This isn’t just a number—it’s a crisis,” Farah warned, citing a surge in variant poliovirus cases from six in 2022 to 29 in 2024. He stressed that the rising cases put entire communities at risk, urging immediate action.
Farah called on local authorities, traditional leaders, and the state government to strengthen immunisation efforts and establish well-funded immunisation task forces in every LGA.
State health officials, including Commissioner for Health Dr. Abubakar Labaran and Primary Healthcare Director-General Dr. Nasiru Mahmud, reaffirmed their commitment to boosting vaccination rates, eradicating polio, and improving maternal healthcare.
Meanwhile, ALGON Chairman Jamilu Danbatta pledged that local governments would intensify vaccination efforts and collaborate with UNICEF to tackle the crisis head-on.
With polio cases rising at an alarming rate, UNICEF and Kano leaders are calling for urgent, collective action to protect the state’s children and prevent further outbreaks.
