The United Nations Children’s Emmergency Fund (UNICEF) has confirmed a resurgence of polio in Kano State and eight other states currently battling a fresh outbreak of the disease.
UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office in Kano, Rahama Farah, raised the alarm during a high-level meeting with government officials and development partners.
He revealed that the recent outbreak of circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2) was largely due to low routine immunization coverage, especially in high-risk areas.
According to Farah, Nigeria recorded 83 cases of cVPV2 in 2024, a worrying trend that threatens the country’s progress in eradicating polio.
Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa are among the states with the highest concentration of new cases, with thousands of children—especially in hard-to-reach communities—yet to receive a single dose of the polio vaccine.
UNICEF expressed deep concern over the high number of “zero-dose” children in Kano, which remains one of the largest reservoirs of unvaccinated children in Nigeria.
The agency is calling for urgent, coordinated action from local authorities, traditional leaders, and health stakeholders to strengthen routine immunization services and bolster community outreach.
Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to eliminating polio by June 2025.
He pledged to invest in healthcare infrastructure and community-based health programs to ensure that all children are reached with life-saving vaccines.
UNICEF and its partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and GAVI, have pledged continued support to the Nigerian government in addressing the outbreak and preventing future resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases.