•Sanwo-Olu, Hamzat, WHO, others call for urgent action
By Oluseye Ojo
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has pinpointed low immunisation coverage, poor sanitation, and malnutrition as leading causes of the resurgence of polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases in Lagos State.
Chief of the UNICEF, Lagos Field Office, Ms. Celine Lafoucriere, made the disclosure, yesterday, at the 2025 World Immunisation Week and Advocacy Walk for Polio, organised by the Lagos State Government in collaboration with UNICEF.
The advocacy walk for polio mobilised high-level policymakers, community leaders, influencers, youth advocates, development partners, and hundreds of citizens to raise awareness and inspire urgent political and community commitment towards ending polio and boosting routine immunisation.
The walk took off from the Office of Lagos State First Lady, Alausa, Ikeja, and ended at the Ministry of Health, Lagos State Secretariat. The dangers of misinformation regarding vaccines were a recurring theme during the event, but the speakers on the occasion called for action against vaccine hesitancy.
Lafoucriere said: “World Immunisation Week and our #Walk for Polio reminds us how far we’ve come but, also how far we have to go to ensure Nigerian children are fully immunised. To date, two million Nigerian children remain zero-dose or unimmunised.
“Since 1974, vaccines have saved over 150 million lives! That represents more than three million lives per year or six lives every minute in the last five decades. Vaccines are extremely powerful. Thanks to global efforts, the world has seen a 99.9 per cent reduction in polio cases since 1988.
“Before the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, 1,000 children were paralysed every single day. Today, the oral polio vaccine has helped prevent 24 million cases of paralysis. But we are not done yet. Right here in Lagos, we are detecting a resurgence of polio. Low immunisation coverage, poor sanitation, and malnutrition are keeping the door open for polio and other vaccine preventable diseases. Routine immunisation is our best bet.”
He emphasised the critical need for public awareness regarding vaccine importance, stating, “Despite the increasing availability of vaccines, some communities only access them during campaigns. This is not sustainable! Routine immunisation must become the norm for every child born in Lagos.”
She reiterated UNICEF’s commitment to ensuring that vulnerable children receive vaccines through effective outreach and collaborations.
Supporting Lafoucriere, wife of Lagos Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, reinforced the importance of immunisation as a fundamental right.
“The theme for this year’s World Immunisation Week, ‘Humanly Possible: Saving Lives Through Immunisation,’ challenges us to ensure that no child suffers or dies from a disease we have the tools and knowledge to prevent,” she proclaimed.
She announced that from May 3 to May 6, 2025, the state would participate in National Immunisation Plus Days, offering two drops of oral polio vaccine free of charge to all children from 0 to 59 months.
She urged parents to cooperate with vaccination teams that would be stationed at health facilities and in the community.
The Deputy Governor’s wife, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat, also said: “It is the responsibility of you and I to ensure every child is vaccinated.”
Permanent Secretary of the Family Health Board, Dr. Ibrahim Mustapha, noted the walk was not merely symbolic but a call to action, as each unvaccinated child represents a risk to public health.
The World Health Organisation State Coordinator, Dr. Chinenye Okafor, warned, “Nigeria risks exporting preventable diseases if hard-to-reach children remain unvaccinated.”
State Coordinator of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Dr. Segun Emiju, called for system strengthening for enhanced immunisation.
Lagos State Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Bolaji Ogunlende, said: “We must walk together with every stakeholder.”