The Chief of Kano Field Office for UNICEF, Rahama Farah, says at least 4.8 million children aged between 9 months and 14 years are expected to be vaccinated against measles-rubella in Katsina State in the forthcoming Integrated Polio Vaccination Campaign.
Farah disclosed this in Katsina during a media dialogue on the Integrated October Polio Vaccination Campaign held in the state capital.
He said the campaign against the contagious viral infection is scheduled to be held from October 6 to October 13, 2025
According to him, a total of 2,253 teams would be deployed to administer the vaccine using fixed and temporary post strategies from October 4 to 13, 2025.
While outlining preparations made by the UNICEF to support Katsina State in implementing a successful campaign, he announced that “a total of 5,584 teams would provide routine immunisation services and other antigens from October 6 to 10, 2025.”
The Chief of UNICEF Field Office explained that “these teams would include 3,761 teams moving from house to house, 993 teams in transit/special points, and 830 in fixed post.”
Farah said that UNICEF has supported the training of 3,300 health workers on improved people skills and the training of 600 Non-Compliance Resolution Teams (NCRTs).
He therefore urged the media to disseminate accurate information about polio vaccine and the vaccination process and use various channels to mobilise caregivers, parents, communities, and stakeholders to make children available for vaccination.
Farah also said that vaccines are provided free by the government, and are effective and safe, stressing the need for all necessary actions to be taken to eradicate polio in Katsina State and indeed Nigeria.
“Two hundred NCRTs, each comprising a community leader, traditional leader, and a vaccinator, will be deployed to resolve non-compliance cases in advance and during the intra-campaign phase on a real-time basis in Katsina.
“Katsina State, with UNICEF’s support, has deployed six state facilitators, 21 LGA facilitators, 462 voluntary ward supervisors (VWSs), and 4,647 voluntary community mobilisers (VCMs) to support the October MR campaign,” he said.
“We have gathered today to highlight the crucial role that the media plays in our collaboration to ensure the well-being of children.
“The integrated campaign in Nigeria planned to implement a Measles Rubella (MR) campaign integrated with Polio in all 36 states across the country, in two phases, starting from October 6, 2025, to February 13, 2026.
“Katsina State will implement the Polio Campaign integrated with Measles Rubella (MR) from October 6 to 13, 2025,”Farah explained
The state has also been provided with 3,698,500 doses of Novel Oral Polio Vaccines (nOPV2), targeting 2.3 million children under five years of age, who will be vaccinated through Directly Observed Oral Polio Vaccination (DOOPV).
The dialogue, organised by the UNICEF and the Katsina State Government, was attended by the National Emergency Operation Centre representatives, the WHO officials and those of the Katsina State Primary Healthcare Agency.
PIAK