Combating Polio Among Vulnerable Children in Katsina

The Katsina State Government in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund and other key partners, has vaccinated no fewer than 5.7 children against polio in the state. Francis Sardauna writes

Although Nigeria was certified polio-free in 2020 by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Africa’s most populous country still has two circulating variants of poliomyelitis capable of spreading and causing serious setbacks in the country.

To tame the virus, which is still endemic in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other countries of the world, the Katsina State Government with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other key development partners, had in May 15, 2023, launched a campaign against the virus across the 34 local government areas of the state.

The state government, through its Primary Healthcare Development Agency and all other partners, deemed it fit to carry the campaign to all the local governments in the state in order to strengthen herd immunity among children and ensure that the virus does not creep back into the communities.

Thus, over 2.9 million children between the age of six weeks and 59 months were targeted to be immunised with fractional injectable polio vaccine (fIPV) and novel oral polio (nOPV) vaccine for children between zero to 59 months across the 34 local government areas of the state.

Being a state with high number of unvaccinated children apparently due to insecurity and consequential geographic locations, the government with support from UNICEF and other development partners, specifically beamed its searchlight on security compromised communities in Batsari, Jibia, Kankara, Dandume, Sabuwa, Safana andFaskari, among other frontline local governments in the state.

For instance, the campaign and immunisation team were seen in Kasai, one of the strongholds of bandits in Batsari Local Government Area of the state vaccinating children against the dreaded polio virus.

An inhabitant of the community, Ramatu Abubakar, whose child was vaccinated against the virus, told THISDAY that the community has been facing a series of bandits’ attacks. The situation, she said, forced the state government to shut their healthcare centre for years.

Ramatu, 34, said: “This is the first time he (Ibrahim) is receiving vaccination because our healthcare centre has been closed as a result of insecurity. But I am glad the house-to-house team is here to save the lives of our children after years of security challenges.”

The mother of six added that: “My other children have taken complete doses of the vaccine at Batsari Comprehensive Healthcare Centre, and are very healthy. This is the reason why my husband insisted Ibrahim gets vaccinated upon seeing the medical team here.”

It is a different story for Hafsat Kabir, an internally displaced mother of three, because only one out of her three children was immunised against the poliomyelitis virus because they were attacked by bandits in their ancestral home of Garin Dodo.

Hafsat, who is currently residing in Wagini, one of the hitherto banditry-ravaged communities in Batsari, said: “I was unable to immunise my first and second children because of the activities of bandits in our Garin Dodo community.

“We couldn’t endure their heinous act. So, we migrated from the community to Wagini with my husband and the three kids. We have been here for over one year. Today, my third child has been vaccinated and given a vaccination card. I am expecting another baby and I will make sure he gets the same.”

The expectant mother, however, called on all mothers to vaccinate their children “because it is the best way to protect them from diseases. Especially for us living in this community as internally displaced persons where contacting diseases can be very easy”.

But for Abdulkadir Isma’il, who used to chase health workers away from his home in Gulbin Baure, Jibia Local Government Area of the state, campaigning for polio vaccination will forever remain his routine exercise after his son contracted the virus.

His five-year-old son Kamilu went to bed one fateful night healthy and strong. By morning, he had lost his ability to walk. Scared, Isma’il took him to a traditional healer, who claimed an evil spirit had attacked his son, and applied some herbs.

It was not until a neighbour said he suspected Kamilu had polio that he was taken to the hospital where an immediate medical intervention saved him from the full effects of the virus.

Isma’il, 47, and a father of 13, was seen in Jibia town campaigning for child vaccination and lending his voice and presence to some health workers who face stiff resistance from people against vaccines in the areas.

He said: “I have seen the effect of polio on my child so anybody who says anything against the vaccination, I will show him practical examples with my child. The vaccines are safe and inactive. It was the polio vaccine that saved my handsome boy from the virus.”

With Isma’il’s efforts and the revolving vaccination campaign strategy adopted by the state government, UNICEF and other development partners, 2,815,424 children have been vaccinated for the fractional injectable polio vaccine and 2,973,290 children for novel oral polio vaccine across Jibia and other 33 LGAs of the state.

This is according to the data supplied by the Katsina Primary Healthcare Development Agency. It further revealed that 1,062,977 children were vaccinated for the fIPV, and 1,120,976 for nOPV in Batagarawa, Batsari, Baure, Dutsinma, Ingawa, Jibia, Kaita, Kankia, Katsina, Mashi, Mai’Adua, Musawa and Zango Local Governments in the first phase of the exercise.

Similarly, 352,637 children were vaccinated for the fractional injectable polio virus, while 384,587 were also given novel oral polio vaccine in the second phase that was carried out simultaneously in communities across Bindawa, Kurfi, Kusada, Malumfashi and Sandamu Local Governments.

Also, 1,399,810 children were vaccinated for the fIPV and a total of 1,467,727 were equally given nOPV vaccine in Bakori, Charanchi, Danmusa, Dandume, Danja, Daura, Dutsi, Faskari, Funtua, Kafur, Kankara, Mani, Matazu, Rimi, Sabuwa and Safana Local Governments in the last phase of the exercise.

These statistics show that the state government, with support from UNICEF and other partners, had vaccinated 5,788,714 children for both the fractional injectable polio and oral polio vaccines, thereby surpassing its initial target of 2.9 million.

With these achievements, the state government with support from the key development partners, had successfully waged war against polio in Katsina, especially in communities across the banditry-affected local government areas of the state.

However, there is need for the government to sustain the partnership by working with UNICEF to ensure the continued vaccination of children against the virus, strengthen social welfare and justice systems to deliver quality prevention and response services for children in the state.

Also, the government should work with UNICEF to ensure that at least 1.6 million children in the age bracket of six and 59 months receive two doses of vitamin A supplementation every year. Government should also support the delivery of life-saving interventions to 143,000 children battling with severe acute malnutrition in the state.