UNICEF Vows to Eradicate Polio from Katsina State, Calls for Increased Efforts, Funding
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed concern over the continued transmission of the polio virus across Katsina State, Nigeria, and pledged to work intensely with the state government towards prioritizing its elimination in 2025.
UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Chief, Mr. Rahama Fara, represented by Health Manager, Dr. Sereke Deres, made the declaration while signing the UNICEF-Katsina State Multi-year Work plan 2025-2027 at the Government House Chamber in Katsina.
The polio virus remains a serious children’s health threat in Katsina State, and effort must be made to mobilize communities, raise awareness, and reach all areas of the state so that parents will be encouraged to vaccinate their children, Dr. Deres added.
He reaffirmed that eradicating polio must be the top agenda in 2025 and that all efforts and resources must be channeled towards making this possible.
Key Recommendations:
The Government of Katsina State must take the lead in addressing refusal to vaccinate at the district, ward, and local government levels
Ensure active participation of LGA chairmen, religious leaders, and community leaders to ensure every child in Katsina gets vaccinated
Utilize local resources, resort to public-private partnerships, and strengthen community-based programs to leave no child behind
Increase the allocation of domestic resources to sectors of utmost importance such as health, nutrition, WASH, child protection, and social protection
Dr. Deres also urged the state government to increase its allocation of domestic resources to sectors of utmost importance, such as health, nutrition, and child protection, in a bid to create resilient systems that are less dependent on donor funding and more attuned to people’s needs.
Consequently, the Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, pledged that his administration would work closely with UNICEF to give high priority to the eradication of polio in the state. He noted that the state government disbursed a N500 million counterpart fund last year to UNICEF to implement activities in the state and would continue to provide counterpart funding to enhance the success and implementation of the multi-year work plan.
The partnership between Katsina State Government and UNICEF is aimed at increased efforts towards eradicating the polio epidemic and general health and well-being of children across the state. Better efforts and resources are believed to render Katsina State polio-free for the very first time by 2025.
