Kano: The UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) has announced plans to vaccinate approximately 7.8 million children in Kano State against Measles Rubella as part of the integrated Measles-Rubella and Polio Vaccination Campaign set to begin on October 6. Mr. Rahama Farah, Chief of UNICEF Field Office in Kano, shared this information during a media dialogue, orientation, and mobilisation session held to prepare for the upcoming campaign.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Farah emphasized the importance of the media in ensuring the campaign's success, which will unfold in two phases nationwide from October 6, 2025, to February 16, 2026. The initiative is a collaborative effort involving the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA), the World Health Organization (WHO), Gavi, the Gates Foundation, civil society organisations, UNICEF, and the Kano State Government.
Kano State is included in Phase One of the national campaign, which will cover 21 states in two streams between October 6 and 17, 2025. Farah noted that the state had recently completed two In-between Round Activities (IBRA), targeting over 354,000 children under five years across 44 local government areas (LGAs), achieving coverage rates of 82% and 98% respectively.
For the October campaign, the NPHCDA, with UNICEF's support, has organized 3,347 vaccination teams, and allocated 4.6 million doses of novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV2) and 4.5 million doses of bOPV, targeting 3.9 million children under five years of age. Additionally, 7.8 million children aged between nine months and 14 years are expected to receive Measles Rubella vaccines.
The campaign strategy will include fixed posts, temporary posts, and sweep teams, supported by 44 LG vaccine accountability officers, 684 ward officers, and three Vaccine Supply Logistics personnel to manage cold chain logistics. Communication support will be provided through banners, sermon guides, posters, caregiver messages, and training for 3,300 health workers and 870 non-compliance resolution teams.
UNICEF and its partners have deployed facilitators, voluntary ward supervisors, polio survivor groups, and nearly 5,000 community mobilisers to enhance coverage. Despite progress, Farah expressed concern over the three cases of circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2) reported in Kano in 2025, a decrease from 31 cases in 17 LGs in 2024.
With the December target for stopping transmission approaching, UNICEF urged the state government to ensure timely flag-offs, release counterpart funding, effective supervision, and intensified social mobilisation. Farah praised the participation of LG chairmen in previous review meetings and called on them to maintain their commitment during the upcoming exercise.
The media was urged by Farah to use their platforms to disseminate accurate information, mobilise communities, and ensure no child is left unvaccinated. Dr. Ahmed Tijani, Director of Disease Control and Immunisation, highlighted the campaign's scale, targeting 106 million children nationwide, making it the largest of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa. The integrated exercise will address Measles Rubella, Routine Immunisation (including Hepatitis and HPV vaccines), Polio, and Onchocerciasis.
Tijani elaborated that the integration aims to improve efficiency, save costs, and reduce the burden of multiple campaigns on communities. He also explained the inclusion of Rubella in the measles vaccine due to evidence of mild measles cases post-vaccination.
Maryam Umar, Kano State Coordinator for the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, urged the media to amplify accurate information about the ongoing campaign. She stressed the media's role in ensuring caregivers and communities understand the benefits of vaccination, campaign specifics, and targeted age groups, reiterating the reliance on media to convey these crucial messages.