Kano State on Monday flagged off the second round of the maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination campaign, targeting over 1.38 million women of reproductive age across 18 high-risk local government areas of the state.
Speaking during the flag-off at the Kano Emergency Operations Centre, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abubakar Labaran, said the campaign aims to vaccinate women aged 15 to 49 years against maternal and neonatal tetanus, a preventable but potentially fatal disease affecting mothers and newborns.
Labaran said the exercise follows the successful completion of the first round conducted in May 2026, during which 1,339,871 out of the targeted 1,388,396 women were vaccinated, representing 96.5 percent administrative coverage.
He disclosed that 906 vaccination teams, comprising 272 fixed-post and 634 temporary fixed-post teams, were deployed during the first phase, while a two-day mop-up exercise was conducted to improve coverage.
Despite the success recorded, the commissioner noted that 1,191 of the 11,330 planned settlements were not reached during the first round, leaving about 10 percent of targeted communities uncovered.
Read Also:
- Kano Shari’a Court Of Appeal Director Sues Governor Yusuf, Seeks ₦100m In Damages Over Retirement
- Governor Yusuf Empowers 1,900 Butchers With Kits, Unveils Cottage Industry Plan in Kano
- Troops Foil Bandits’ Attack, Recover 147 Rustled Livestock, Arrest 2 Suspects In Kano
He said the second round would focus on these unreached settlements as well as other underserved and hard-to-reach communities through health facilities and temporary vaccination posts located in markets, schools, places of worship and other public locations.
“Our vaccines and essential logistics have been positioned, while vaccination teams, supervisors and community mobilisers are fully prepared for the exercise,” he said.
Labaran urged all eligible women, including those vaccinated during the first round, to receive the recommended doses needed for stronger and long-lasting protection, stressing that the vaccines are free, safe and effective.
He also called on husbands, parents, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and the media to support the campaign by mobilising women and countering misinformation.
The commissioner reaffirmed the commitment of the administration of Governor Abba Yusuf to eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus through immunisation, quality antenatal care, skilled birth attendance and strengthened primary healthcare services.
He commended development partners, including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, UNICEF, the World Health Organisation, Rotary, AFENET, CORE Group, Solina and the Gates Foundation, for their technical and operational support to the campaign.
