Insecurity impedes vaccine access for children in Niger State
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
Insecurity is a major obstacle preventing life-saving vaccines from reaching children of immunization age in some local government areas of Niger State. This was highlighted by officials from the Niger State government and UNICEF during a meeting with representatives from the Republic of Korea regarding a partnership grant. The grant focuses on maintaining and strengthening immunization and essential services in 10 prioritized LGAs in the state. Dr. Ahmed Tsofo, UNICEF Health Specialist from the Kaduna Field Office, noted that Nigeria has the highest burden of zero-dose children globally, with 2.1 million, and identified six states, including Niger, as contributing to this. He stated that insecurity hinders efforts to reach these children. Dr. Murtala Bagana, Niger State Commissioner for Health, attributed the burden to insecurity and the number of hard-to-reach communities. He urged the 10 LGAs鈥擝ida, Chanchaga, Edati, Gurara, Katcha, Kontagora, Mariga, Rafi, Suleja, and Wushishi鈥攖o take ownership of the program to strengthen routine immunization and outreach. Dr. Inuwa Junaidu, Executive Director of the Niger State Primary Health Care Development Agency, mentioned challenges like cross-border banditry and other forms of insecurity from neighboring states. He affirmed that with support from the Korean government and UNICEF, they aim to identify, enumerate, and vaccinate all zero-dose children within an eight-month period to reduce the burden in Niger State.
Free daily or weekly digest of the most important stories from across 18 African countries. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
Must ReadWorld Environment Day 2026 served as a call for urgent climate action amidst record-breaking temperatures, deadly heatwaves, and devastating floods globally. Stakeholders from Baku, Azerbaijan, to Lagos and Edo State in Nigeria, emphasized that the climate crisis is a present-day emergency impacting economies, public health, food systems, and national security. United Nations Secretary-General Ant贸nio Guterres warned that the past eleven years have been the hottest on record, with the world heading for a temporary overshoot above the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees Celsius. He called for immediate global action, including rapid emissions reduction, transition to renewable energy, and fulfillment of climate finance commitments to developing countries. Azerbaijan鈥檚 Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Rashad Ismayilov, stated that no country is immune, highlighting his country's commitment to nearly doubling renewable energy capacity by 2030. The Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Inger Andersen, described climate change as a defining challenge, urging wealthy nations, major polluters, and citizens to prevent further environmental degradation. Over 2,000 climate events worldwide commemorated the day, with cities like Lagos joining UNEP鈥檚 50@50 initiative to prepare for extreme heat. In Lagos, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Olalekan Rotimi-Akodu, announced a N2.5 million tree-planting prize and plans to plant 500 tree
United States coach Mauricio Pochettino highlighted the collective effort of his squad following their 4-1 World Cup opening win against Paraguay in Los Angeles. Despite Folarin Balogun scoring a brace and Gio Reyna adding a late goal, Pochettino insisted that the victory was a team performance, refusing to single out individual players like Christian Pulisic for praise. He commended the entire team, including those on the bench, and expressed gratitude to the 70,000 fans in Los Angeles for their energetic support. Pochettino acknowledged the strong start but stressed that the team must continue to improve for their upcoming matches against Australia and Turkey in Group D, reminding everyone that it is only the beginning of the tournament.
Must ReadNigerian athletes Kayinsola Ajayi and Samuel Ogazi secured titles at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Representing Auburn University, Ajayi won the men鈥檚 100m in a wind-assisted 9.72 seconds. This performance, while not eligible for record purposes due to a +2.2m/s tailwind, would have surpassed the African record. It marks Ajayi's first NCAA outdoor title and makes him the first Nigerian to win the NCAA men鈥檚 100m since Divine Oduduru in 2019. In the men鈥檚 400m, Ogazi, from Alabama, successfully defended his NCAA title with a national and collegiate record of 43.38 seconds, breaking the previous NCAA record set in 2018. This time also improved on his personal best of 44.02 seconds, which had already broken Innocent Egbunike鈥檚 38-year-old Nigerian record. Additionally, Ajayi鈥檚 Auburn teammate, Israel Okon, finished second in the 200m with a time of 19.99 seconds, achieving his best finish at the championships.