By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi
The UNICEF Bauchi Field Office has said that it is resolving cases of non-compliance in the ongoing polio Immunization exercise.
The Chief of Field Office (CFO), UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, Dr Nuzhat Rafique stated this during an interview shortly after monitoring the polio immunization exercise along with a team of vaccinators, Father for Good Health, Village Community Mobilizers and the media in Darazo local government area of Bauchi state.
According to her, although cases of non-compliance were recorded in states of Gombe, Plateau, Adamawa, Taraba, Bauchi that makeup the Bauchi Field Office, where the immunization exercise is currently taking place, the team of Father for Good Health, Village Community Mobilizers, LGA Coordinators along with the UNICEF team have been going from house to house, talking to fathers and mothers to address the issue of non-compliance which have yielded positive results.
“The UNICEF team has been in all the high risk LGAs in Bauchi State and there are almost 9 LGAs which are zero dose which means that these LGAs have children that have never been vaccinated. I was in Ganjuwa LGA yesterday and Darazo today and I see that the teams are working under very hard conditions, but still they are dedicated, going from house to house in the hot weather.
“We went to all the non-compliance houses and we resolved 16 cases of non-compliance and the children have been immunized.
“No matter the cases of non-compliance that may still exist, the good news is that our team are resolving the cases and more children that have never been reached are now been immunized”
“My prayer is that in this current exercise, no child is left behind. I want every child to be vaccinated in this campaign because 2025 is the last year of support for this clean-up.
“We still have circulating polio virus in Nigeria and this is one of the few countries that polio needs to be eradicated.We need to go every extent to reach the last child so that every child is vaccinated in this campaign and so far, the response is hundred percent”
She commended the support of traditional rulers in the immunization campaign in state, saying that they have been participating actively in the exercise to ensure that every child is vaccinated.
“The traditional leaders who are the backbone of the society have been very supportive, dedicated and committed to this exercise and we appreciate all they do.Today, I met the district head of Darazo and I thank him for all his dedication and support and similarly all the Emirs, Royal highnesses, I am really grateful for their support to this campaign” she said