Katsina records 11 months without new polio case after mass immunization campaign
via Punch Nigeria3 min read
Katsina State has achieved 11 consecutive months without a new polio case, following a mass immunization campaign that reached over 2.9 million children. This milestone was announced by Heartland Alliance LTD/GTE HALG during World Immunisation Week 2026. Dr. Bartholomew Ochonye, Chief Executive Officer of HALG, stated that while this progress is significant, the fight against polio remains fragile. The campaign, which began in April 2025, involved over 4,000 field teams conducting house-to-house enumeration across 2,356 hard-to-reach settlements, covering more than 836,000 households and vaccinating over 1.6 million children in its first phase. HALG also led a statewide micro-planning exercise across all 34 local government areas to improve vaccination accuracy. Despite these gains, the campaign revealed that over 50,000 children identified had never received a single vaccine dose before the intervention. Major obstacles persist, including insecurity preventing access to some settlements, vaccine hesitancy, cold chain limitations, and weak health infrastructure. Dr. Ochonye emphasized the need for sustained funding for last-mile immunization systems, including enumeration, community engagement, and monitoring, to ensure that all children, especially those in hard-to-reach areas, are consistently reached. Nigeria was declared free of wild poliovirus in 2020, but outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus continue to pose a threat, particularly in northern states with
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
Must ReadThe Nigerians in Diaspora Commission NiDCOM has issued a safety alert to Nigerians residing in South Africa, urging them to adhere to advisories from the Nigerian Consulate General following an increase in anti-foreigner protests. A circular from the Consulate General of Nigeria in Johannesburg, dated April 22, 2026, reported violent demonstrations in East London, Cape Town, Durban, and parts of KwaZulu-Natal, which included looting, property damage, and injuries. NiDCOM, through its Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, stated that intelligence indicates further protests are planned in Gauteng Province from April 27 to 29, 2026. These demonstrations aim to pressure the South African government regarding the presence of foreign nationals. NiDCOM advises Nigerian citizens to avoid confrontation with protesters, refrain from engaging with demonstration groups, and monitor local media for safety updates, while also urging them to remain law-abiding. Nigerian business owners are advised to temporarily close their shops on Freedom Day, April 27, and consider remaining closed on April 28 and 29, as foreign-owned businesses are often targeted during unrest. NiDCOM reiterated its support for Consul-General, Ambassador Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, confirming the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg is operational and collaborating with South African police to ensure the safety of Nigerian nationals. The commission also noted that the Minister of State for For
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