By: Bashir Hassan Abubakar
Bauchi State Government, UNICEF and Rotary International have called for intensified polio vaccination and community awareness to protect children against the crippling disease.
This call was made during the 2026 World Polio Day commemoration at the Government House, Bauchi.
The wife of the Governor, Hajia Aisha Bala Mohammed, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development, Hajia Talatu Musa, urged parents and caregivers to ensure all eligible children are fully immunized, while also honouring polio survivors and calling for protection of their rights and inclusion in society.
UNICEF Health Officer, Bauchi Field Office, Patrick Akor, described polio as a highly infectious virus that can cause permanent paralysis or death in children under five, warning that misinformation, weak health systems and immunization gaps threaten eradication gains.
He commended frontline health workers and called for stronger routine immunization, especially in underserved communities and for zero-dose children.
Similarly, President of Rotary Club Bauchi Central, District 9127, Amb. Comfort Attah, noted that global polio cases have dropped by over 99.9% due to sustained partnerships, urging stakeholders to strengthen surveillance, immunization and public enlightenment to counter vaccine misinformation.
The event, organized with support from UNICEF, featured a road walk from the Emir’s Palace to Government House and drew participants from the State Primary Health Care Development Board, Ministry of Health, WHO, Rotarians, polio survivors and the media.
