After Nigeria was declared polio-free on June 18, 2020, the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarm over the outbreak of polio in Kano State and eight other states.
While speaking with government officials and development partners in Kano on Tuesday, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office, Rahama Farah, explained that the outbreak was due to low routine immunization coverage, especially in high-risk areas.
According to Farah, the variant poliovirus in circulation is type 2 (cVPV2), revealing that in 2024, Nigeria recorded 83 cases of cVPV2, describing it as a threat to the country’s efforts in eradicating the virus.
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While highlighting the challenges of reaching hard-to-reach communities in administering vaccines, Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa were listed with the highest number of new cases, leaving significant numbers of children at risk.
UNICEF has raised concern about the large number of unvaccinated children in Kano, calling for urgent action from local authorities, traditional leaders, and health workers to improve routine immunization and community outreach.
Governor Abba Yusuf, vowed to end polio by June 2025 while pledging to invest in healthcare and community programs to ensure all children get vaccinated.
Other health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and GAVI, have reaffirmed their commitment to addressing the outbreak and preventing future reoccurrence.
