By Khadijah Aliyu
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has urged stakeholders at all levels to intensify collective efforts towards eradicating polio, warning that a single case in any country poses a risk to the entire world.
The UNICEF Kano Officer in Charge, Mr. Karanveer Singh, made the call at a co-creation workshop on polio in Kano, organised to strengthen the capacity of young people, influencers and government partners to develop engaging and impactful digital content promoting polio vaccination.
Singh stressed that polio eradication requires a global effort because the presence of the disease in one country could threaten other countries, particularly through cross-border transmission.
He noted that polio has no cure but is preventable through vaccination, adding that the oral polio vaccine remains safe and effective and has contributed to a 99.9 per cent reduction in polio cases globally.
However, he cautioned that a single confirmed case could trigger an outbreak, urging parents and caregivers to ensure that their children receive all the required doses of the polio vaccine.
Singh stressed that strong leadership and coordinated action at all levels were essential to ensuring that every child is protected against the disease.
He also encouraged participants to ask questions and clarify misconceptions about polio to promote a better understanding of the disease, vaccination and the current eradication efforts.
In his welcome remarks, UNICEF Social and Behaviour Change Chief, Kshitij Joshi, said the workshop would equip participants with the skills to create engaging content for a short community cinema aimed at raising awareness about polio vaccination.
Joshi identified improved engagement, content creation skills, and increased understanding and awareness of polio vaccines among participants as key objectives of the workshop.
Representing the Incident Manager of the Kano Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), Dr. Abdullahi Ahmed, the Deputy Incident Manager, Dr. Abba Muhammad Danzomo, said the Kano State Government was committed to eradicating polio.
Danzomo said the state had established a task force on polio eradication headed by the Deputy Governor and the Commissioner for Health, while also strengthening supportive supervision at health facilities and ensuring prompt payment of counterpart funding to support immunisation activities.
The workshop brought together UNICEF U-Reporters, media professionals, Kannywood practitioners and content creators.
The workshop was organised by the UNICEF Nigeria Country Office through its Health, Social and Behaviour Change and Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships Sections, in collaboration with UNICEF Champion Ali Nuhu and Kannywood.
Editing By Godwin Duru
