A vaccination drive targeting mothers and newborns is expanding access to life-saving immunisation services across Kano State, with health workers taking vaccines directly to underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
The second round of the Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination Campaign, which began in Kano on Monday, is targeting women aged 15 to 49.
Maternal and neonatal tetanus remains a deadly threat to mothers and newborns, but health authorities say it is preventable through vaccination and safe maternal and newborn care practices.
The campaign is targeting women across 18 high-risk Local Government Areas, with vaccination posts being established in communities, markets, schools, places of worship and other locations where women can easily access the service.
For women who may struggle to reach health facilities because of distance or other barriers, the strategy is designed to bring protection closer to them.
Commissioner of Health Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf said, “Every woman reached, every dose administered and every settlement covered brings Kano State closer to eliminating maternal and neonatal tetanus.”
The first round of the campaign, conducted in May, reached 1,339,871 women out of a target of 1,388,396, representing 96.5 per cent administrative coverage.
However, 1,191 of the 11,330 settlements targeted were not reached during the first phase. The Commissioner of Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, says these communities are now receiving particular attention as the second round gets underway.
The commissioner also added that the remaining gaps are significant because an unreached settlement could mean that women who need protection are still vulnerable to the disease.
“Every unreached settlement may contain women who remain unprotected, and Round 2 provides us with an important opportunity to close these gaps and ensure that no eligible woman is left behind.”
Beyond the figures, the campaign represents an opportunity for mothers and women of reproductive age to protect themselves and their future children from a disease that can cause preventable deaths.
Dr Abubakar urged husbands, parents and family members to encourage eligible women to receive the vaccine, while calling on traditional and religious leaders, community groups and the media to help tackle misinformation and promote awareness.
Women who received the first dose during Round 1 were also encouraged to follow the advice of health workers and take subsequent recommended doses to achieve stronger, longer-lasting protection.
The National Primary Health Care Development Agency, UNICEF, WHO, Rotary, AFENET, CORE Group, Solina and the Gates Foundation, among others, are supporting the campaign.
As vaccination teams move into communities, the message from health authorities is simple: “A few minutes spent receiving a vaccine could help protect a mother and give her newborn a safer start to life.”
For Kano, the success of Round 2 will ultimately be measured not only by the number of women vaccinated but also by how many families are spared the pain of losing mothers or newborns to a disease that can be prevented.
