Gombe Launches Polio Drive Targeting 700,000 Children Statewide Campaign
Chukwu Obinna 
GOMBE, Nigeria – Gombe State and UNICEF intensify a five-day polio immunisation campaign targeting over 700,000 children, deploying grassroots mobilisation teams across all local government areas.
Executive Secretary Abdulrahama Shuaibu on Monday says locally recruited vaccinators receive full training and daily refreshers to ensure quality delivery. Traditional rulers and religious leaders actively support outreach efforts to improve acceptance.
“We will not relent until every child is fully immunised,” Shuaibu says, addressing concerns over vaccine hesitancy.
UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office head Nuzhat Rafique confirms more than 965,000 vaccine doses have been distributed statewide, with early reports showing over 60 per cent coverage.
“This involvement is important because it helps the campaign reach more people and work better,” she says.
Authorities focus on over 50,000 “zero-dose” children who have never received vaccines, pledging intensified efforts to reach them before the campaign ends.
About the Author
Korede Abdullah 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Mirian Gom