Writing by Khadijah Aliyu;Editing by Abubakar Hamza.
The Kano State Government has accused some proprietors of private schools of undermining the ongoing polio eradication efforts in the state.
The allegation was made by the State Immunisation Officer, Dr. Sa’adatu Ibrahim, during a media engagement session held in Kano
According to her ,many private schools have continued to deny health officials access to pupils for polio vaccination, despite repeated appeals and government directives.
She recalled an incident in which health workers were physically attacked by some private school operators during a recent immunisation campaign.
Dr Sa’adatu pointed out that the state government had earlier issued a directive barring private schools from admitting pupils unless parents consented to administering the polio vaccine to their children.
She said the persistent resistance from some school owners poses a serious threat to the state’s polio eradication progress.
A Social Behavioural Change Officer at the Kano State Primary Health Care Management Board Malam Nasir Kabir reaffirmed the government’s readiness for a smooth rollout of the forthcoming polio campaign, praising UNICEF and development partners for their continued support.
Speaking during the engagement session, the Chief of UNICEF’s Kano Field Office, Rahama Farah, praised the state government and Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) partners for what he described as “remarkable progress” in interrupting the spread of circulating variant poliovirus (cVPV2).
Farah said Kano recorded an over 80% reduction in poliovirus cases compared to 2024, dropping from 17 affected LGAs last year to just three confirmed and two pending cases this year.
Khadijah Aliyu.
