Kaduna Marks World Polio Day with Renewed Commitment to Sustaining Polio-Free Status
Stakeholders in the health sector, including UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Gates Foundation, joined the Kaduna State Government to commemorate the 2025 World Polio Day, with a renewed commitment to maintaining the state’s polio-free status.
The event began with a three Kilometer campaign walk from the Kaduna State Ministry of Health to the State Primary Health Care Board, aimed at raising public awareness on the importance of vaccination and the global fight against polio.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Health, Hajiya Umma Ahmed, reaffirmed the government’s dedication to ensuring that residents never again suffer the pains and disabilities caused by the polio disease.
Represented by the Director of Disease Control and Immunization, Mallam Hamza Ibrahim Ikara, the Commissioner said the state has strengthened both its surveillance and routine immunization systems to sustain the progress made in eradicating the disease.
“For many years, polio has been a global health crisis, affecting millions of people and robbing them of normal life,” she said. “The successes we have recorded towards eliminating the disease are a testament to the power of vaccination campaigns, surveillance systems, and public health infrastructure in the state.”
In his goodwill message, UNICEF Representative Idris Baba said World Polio Day serves as a reminder of the continuous efforts by all partners and health workers to eliminate the disease globally. He noted that while tremendous progress has been made, stakeholders must remain vigilant to prevent any resurgence.
Also speaking, the WHO State Coordinator, Dr. Abere Mohammed, emphasized that over 20 million paralysis cases have been prevented worldwide as a result of sustained immunization efforts.
He praised the Kaduna State Government and its partners for their proactive approach in ensuring every child is reached with the life-saving polio vaccine.
The event drew participation from health workers, volunteers, and community leaders who pledged continued support for immunization and health education at the grassroots level.
World Polio Day, celebrated every October 24, highlights global progress in the fight to end polio — a crippling disease that once paralyzed thousands of children every year but has now been reduced to a handful of cases in just a few countries.
Cov/Shindong Bala
