Kaduna State to begin Polio Immunization this April

The Kaduna State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (SPHCDA) on Monday said it would commence second round of polio immunisation across the state on April 16.

The Agency’s Deputy Director, Hamza Ibrahim-Hamza, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna that the vaccination would run from April 13 to April 16 in the state’s 23 local government areas.

He said that the state hoped to achieve 85 percent in polio immunization, which is the national level.

“Our routine immunisation is low but efforts by the local governments and the state has reached 73 percent by a survey carried out in 2013.

Ibrahim-Hamza said that the agency had intensified efforts to involve traditional and religious leaders to track children that are under one year.

He said that at least two health workers would be sent to hard-to-reach areas for proper coverage.

“We have mapped out all the communities for outreach services where we will give them incentives to encourage them,’’ the SPHCDA official said.

He appealed to parents, guardians and caregivers to ensure they made their children available for immunisation during the campaign, and for routine immunisation in nearby health centres or hospitals.

“The vaccination will include house to house, and in hospitals, and we will supervise 1,168 health facilities so that all communities will benefit especially children less than one year.

(NAN)