By Godwin Agia, Jalingo
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched a mass immunization campaign aimed at vaccinating over one million children across Taraba State against polio and other life-threatening diseases.
The campaign was officially flagged off on Friday in Jalingo, the state capital, drawing attention to the urgent need to reach children in underserved and hard-to-reach areas.
Speaking at the event, Nuzhat Rafique, Chief of the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office, emphasized the significance of the initiative, urging parents and caregivers to ensure their children receive the vaccine.
“Today is a very important day for every child in Taraba State. Polio is one of the diseases that must be tackled, and this can be achieved through vaccination. There are over one million children under five in Taraba, and each and every one of them must receive this vaccine,” Rafique stated.
She added, “My special request to fathers and mothers is to make your children available for this vaccination. This is the last year my team is directly supporting the polio campaign here. The world is watching Nigeria in the fight to eradicate polio, and we must ensure no child is left behind.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Taraba and Chairman of Jalingo Local Government Area, Alhaji Aminu Jauro Hassan, lauded the strong partnership between UNICEF and the state government. He commended the government for consistently releasing counterpart funding to support vaccination programs.
However, he expressed concern over low compliance in some areas, particularly Jalingo, Ardo-Kola, and Bali LGAs, and called on parents to cooperate fully by presenting their children for immunization.
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