From Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is targeting to immunise over one million children in Taraba State against polio and provide other integrated services.
The initiative was flagged off during a polio vaccination campaign in Jalingo, the state capital.
Nuzhat Rafique, Bauchi’s chief UNICEF field officer, emphasised the importance of vaccinating every child, particularly in hard-to-reach areas.
She said the immunisation campaign aims to protect children from life-threatening diseases, stressing that UNICEF and its partners are working to ensure that all children in Taraba State have access to life-saving vaccines.
“Today is very important to every child in Taraba State. Polio is one of the diseases that need to be curbed, that need to be addressed. This is very possible by polio vaccination. So every child under five years—there are over one million in Taraba—and each and every child needs to have this vaccine.
“My special request from you fathers and mothers is that, avail your kids for this vaccination because this is the last year you are getting my support for polio vaccine, and the whole world is looking at Nigeria for the eradication of polio disease, so we need to reach even the last child in Taraba State out of this one million children to have polio vaccine,” she said.
Speaking earlier, ALGON chairman and chairman of Jalingo local government council, Alhaji Aminu Jauro Hassan, commended the robust relationship between UNICEF and the Taraba State government for always releasing counterpart funds to vaccinate Taraba children.
He also expressed dismay over non-compliance, particularly in Jalingo, Ard-Kola, and Bali local government areas, and charged parents to avail their children for immunisation.
Also speaking, the executive secretary of the Taraba State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Nuhu Tukura, while thanking UNICEF, WHO, and other partners for constant support for Taraba children, noted that health is not a government business alone and tasked everyone for support.