Kwara hits 1m vaccination milestone as May 2 polio campaign looms
By Muyideen Aliyu
The Kwara State Government, in preparation for the 2026 Polio Immunization programme, has intensified efforts with strategic engagements involving key stakeholders towards eradicating polio among the infants in the State.
The stakeholders’ meeting brought together religious leaders, community leaders, market leaders, and education experts, who were sensitized on the importance of the immunization exercise and their critical roles in ensuring its success.
State officials emphasized the need for grassroots mobilization, community trust-building, and active participation to ensure that no eligible child is missed during the campaign, which commences on May 2, across the State.
Speaking during the exercise, the Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KWSPHCDA), Prof. Nusirat Elelu, represented by the Director of Personnel, Finance, and Supply of the Agency, Mr. Ajide Olayioye, highlighted the pivotal role of stakeholders as trusted voices within their communities.
She urged them to champion the cause of polio eradication by encouraging caregivers to present their children for vaccination. She announced that no fewer than one million children have so far been vaccinated across the 16 Local Government Areas of Kwara State.
The Secretary noted that the success recorded during the March immunization campaign was largely achieved through the dedication and efforts of vaccination teams across the state.
The Social Behavioural Consultant from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Dr. Usman Danlami, maintained that some Local Government Areas recorded cases of non-compliance during the last immunization campaign, occasioned by absenteeism, houses not visited, and outright refusal to comply.
He implored media practitioners and relevant stakeholders to intensify awareness among mothers and caregivers to find a lasting solution to the challenge of non-compliance.
Also, the State Social Mobilization Officer, Dr. Dupe Shittu, stated that misinformation remains a major barrier to vaccine uptake. noted that some parents still avoid polio vaccination due to rumors about harmful side effects on children, leaving many children vulnerable to the preventable disease.
Shittu explained that while reactions to drugs and vaccines may vary from person to person, such reactions are generally mild and manageable.
The Mobilization officer urged parents to promptly visit the nearest health facility if they notice any unusual reaction after their child receives a vaccine, rather than avoiding immunization altogether.
The Focal Person for Community Engagement at the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Mr. Adisa Sulaiman Tekobo, noted that the programme was aimed at bringing together key stakeholders and media professionals to harmonize social mobilization strategies for improved caregiver awareness, service uptake, and community participation.
He explained that community leaders and traditional rulers were actively engaged to resolve issues of non-compliance encountered during the last campaign, ensuring improved acceptance and participation at the grassroots level.