Kaduna Targets 2.5 Million Children Across 28,000 Settlements in Polio OBR Campaign
By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna
Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board (SPHCB) says it is intensifying efforts to ensure no child is left behind as it prepares to vaccinate over 2.5 million children in the March 2026 Outbreak Response (OBR) polio campaign.
State Health Education Officer, Isah Yushau, disclosed on Friday at a Media Dialogue supported by UNICEF Kaduna Field Office that the campaign will cover more than 28,000 settlements across the state, with teams fully mobilised to reach every eligible child aged 0 to 59 months.
According to him, the state has already secured adequate vaccines, deployed trained personnel, and provided all necessary logistics to ensure effective service delivery, even in hard-to-reach communities.
“We are targeting not less than 2.5 million children across over 28,000 settlements.
“We have made adequate preparations, vaccines are available, personnel are trained, and materials are in place to ensure smooth implementation,” he said.
Yushau, however, noted that despite progress, challenges such as vaccine refusal and insecurity in some areas remain a concern.
He revealed that in previous campaigns, over 7,000 children were initially missed due to refusal by caregivers, but sustained engagement and sensitization efforts helped reduce the number to about 1,000, representing a success rate of over 70 to 80 percent.
“While we have made progress in reducing refusals, our ultimate goal is to eliminate missed children entirely. Every child must be reached,” he stressed.
He added that new strategies have been introduced to address gaps, particularly in communities with low vaccine acceptance and those affected by access limitations.
The SPHCB called on parents and caregivers to cooperate with vaccination teams, emphasizing that immunization remains the safest and most effective way to protect children from the devastating effects of polio.
