By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
The Bauchi State Government, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Rotary International have urged parents and caregivers to ensure that all eligible children receive complete polio vaccination to protect them against the crippling disease.
The stakeholders made the call during the 2026 World Polio Day commemoration held at the Government House in Bauchi, where they emphasised the need for sustained immunisation, community awareness and collective action to eradicate polio.
The wife of the Bauchi State Governor, Hajia Aisha Bala Mohammed, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development, Hajia Talatu Musa, urged parents and caregivers to ensure that their children receive all recommended doses of polio vaccines.
She also called for greater recognition, protection and inclusion of polio survivors, stressing the importance of safeguarding their rights and ensuring that they are not marginalised in society.
Speaking at the event, UNICEF Health Officer at the Bauchi Field Office, Patrick Akor, described polio as a highly infectious viral disease capable of causing permanent paralysis or death, particularly among children under five.
Akor warned that misinformation, weaknesses in healthcare delivery and gaps in immunisation coverage continued to threaten progress towards the global eradication of the disease.
He commended frontline health workers for their contributions to polio prevention and control, while advocating stronger routine immunisation programmes, particularly in underserved communities.
The UNICEF official also stressed the need to identify and vaccinate zero-dose children, who have not received any routine vaccine, noting that reaching such children remains critical to closing immunity gaps and preventing further transmission.
Similarly, the President of Rotary Club Bauchi Central, District 9127, Ambassador Comfort Attah, said sustained global partnerships had contributed to a reduction of more than 99.9 per cent in polio cases.
She, however, called on governments, health agencies, community leaders and other stakeholders to sustain their commitment to immunisation, disease surveillance and public enlightenment.
Attah also emphasised the need to address vaccine misinformation through consistent community engagement and the dissemination of accurate information to build public confidence in vaccination programmes.
The commemoration, organised with support from UNICEF, featured a road walk from the Emir’s Palace to the Government House, Bauchi, to raise awareness about polio prevention and the importance of vaccination.
Participants included representatives of the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board, the State Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation (WHO), Rotarians, polio survivors and members of the media.
The event underscored the importance of sustained collaboration among government institutions, development partners, health workers and communities in protecting children from polio and preserving the gains made towards its eradication
