By Muhammad Ibrahim, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government, in partnership with UNICEF, has launched the second round of the Outbreak Response (OBR 2) immunization campaign aimed at eradicating polio in the state.
Governor Ahmad Aliyu emphasized that polio is a devastating disease that can lead to lifelong paralysis but is preventable through timely and complete vaccination.
The campaign would be conducted through house-to-house visits, special transit teams stationed in schools, mosques, churches, markets, and playgrounds.
Community and religious leaders, stakeholders, and parents are urged to actively support the exercise by mobilizing families and ensuring every eligible child receives the vaccine.
Over 2,709 trained health professionals have been deployed across the state’s 244 wards to carry out the immunization exercise.
The state government and UNICEF are working together to achieve a polio-free Sokoto State and Nigeria as a whole.
The campaign aims to improve public health by immunizing children under five years old, the most vulnerable group to the virus.
Efforts are being made to tackle public resistance and misinformation about the polio vaccine.