The Katsina State Government has announced that it administered polio vaccinations to 2.954 million children across all 34 local government areas within the state during the March 2026 campaign.
Dr. Shamsudeen Yahaya, the Executive Secretary of the state’s Primary Healthcare Agency, shared this update on Wednesday during a media briefing and a public engagement dialogue held in anticipation of the April 2026 Outbreak Response (OBR2) campaign.
He stated that the March polio eradication drive achieved significant coverage across all local government areas, 361 wards, and various settlements, utilising a combination of door-to-door visits, fixed vaccination posts, and dedicated special teams.
Despite the successes, Dr. Yahaya acknowledged that certain obstacles were encountered. These included persistent non-compliance in some communities, difficulties in tracking children who were missed due to insufficient follow- up systems, gaps in real-time data reporting and monitoring, and the continuous need for enhanced community involvement and localised communication strategies.
Looking ahead to the April polio campaign, Dr. Yahaya affirmed that the state administration is committed to exceeding the performance recorded in March. The primary objective is to ensure that every eligible child receives the vaccine, with a particular focus on newly identified areas and populations at high risk.
He further detailed the deployment plans, noting that the state has mobilised 3,761 house-to-house vaccination teams and 993 special teams, alongside 361 fixed post teams. Additionally, over 3.39 million doses of the nOPV2 vaccine have been procured and distributed to local government areas.
Dr. Yahaya emphasised that the triumph of the upcoming campaign will substantially rely on effective communication and the fostering of public confidence. He urged media professionals and digital influencers within the state to take a crucial role in disseminating accurate information and encouraging participation.
Francis Sardauna
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