Hussaini Kafi in Kano
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says it has mobilised and trained 1,130 men across 113 wards in seven Local Government Areas of Bauchi State to promote childhood immunisation under its “Fathers for Good Health” initiative.
Speaking on Monday in Bauchi, the UNICEF Social Behaviour Change Specialist, George Eki, said the volunteer group has so far mobilised over 109,000 children for routine immunisation.
“We started in Misau and Ningi LGAs to understand why some parents were refusing vaccination. We found that fathers often hold the final say,” Eki said. “So, we formed the Fathers for Good Health support group with 10 trained men per ward.”
He said the initiative now spans 9,252 communities and is being expanded to Gombe and Adamawa states, supported by Canadian government funding.
“These fathers, unpaid and passionate, help resolve non-compliance in hard-to-reach areas—some even use their personal bikes and fuel,” Eki noted.
He added, “The results are visible, and some local governments like Misau are committing support such as motorbikes to strengthen the group’s reach.”
