Chairman of Tudun Wada Local Government Area of Kano State, Sa’adatu Yushu’a, has said the state government’s promise to construct a culvert in a community ravaged by polio, has convinced them to accept the polio immunisation vaccine.
According to UNICEF, Kano is home to the highest number of children in Nigeria who are unvaccinated against the polio virus, and the situation has been further worsened by the rise in new variant polio virus cases in the state.
In 2022, six new cases were reported. This figure increased to 27 new cases in 2023, and in 2024, 29 new cases were reported.
Speaking in an interview, Sa’adatu said the local government area has the highest rate of abhorrence to polio immunisation, but added that through engagements with traditional and community leaders, the acceptance of vaccination and immunisation has improved among the people.
“As the chairperson of the area, coming to know about their rejection and the high rate of zero dose children, particularly in one remote village, myself with the help of the divisional police officer, head of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the traditional rulers financed a trip to that village purposely where we sat with the traditional rulers and explained to them the importance of this polio vaccine.
“The reason they told us for their rejection was that the previous government promised to construct a culvert for them after receiving the polio vaccine, but it wasn’t fulfilled, and they decided to refuse the vaccination,” the council chairman said.
She, however, stressed that the culvert is important to the community, highlighting that the culvert, like a feeder road, will connect five villages and allow the villagers to transport their farm produce to nearby markets, and grant them access to hospitals.
The chairperson also noted that after a formal written agreement with the community, they have started receiving the polio vaccine, while the government will ensure the construction of the culvert is completed.
