UNICEF donates life-saving vaccines to Children in Bauchi

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The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has donated 2.5 million doses of polio vaccines to the Bauchi State Government in preparation for the 2025 vaccination campaign. The vaccines were handed over to the state at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) cold store.

UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, stated that the campaign is critical in eradicating polio in Nigeria, particularly in Bauchi State, which has 556,000 zero-dose children in 13 local government areas. “This is very critical and very important; it is a make-or-break event for us. These two campaigns this year are the last chance for the country and for Bauchi to contribute towards the eradication of polio in Nigeria,” she said.

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Rafique explained that zero-dose children are those who have never received any vaccination, putting them at high risk. “Zero-dose children means that no vaccines have ever reached them, and it comprises over 556,000 children who have never received any vaccination, so you can imagine how highly risky they are,” she added.

The vaccination campaign will start in the 13 zero-dose LGAs on April 24th and cover the entire state from April 26th to 29th. Rafique called on communities to cooperate and mobilise resources to ensure the success of the campaign. “This is not only for them but for the generations to come, for the whole future of Nigeria and the children born in Nigeria,” she said.

UNICEF Health Officer Patrick Akor explained that 160,250 doses will be used for the round of vaccination to reach children between ages 0 and 59 months. A representative from the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Bappah Jika, appreciated UNICEF for the “life-saving” support and assured that adequate publicity will be embarked upon to create awareness for the campaign.

The goal is to ensure that all children under 5 years old are vaccinated, particularly the 556,000 zero-dose children, and to reduce the number of zero-dose children in Bauchi State

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