Fathers in Igabi council area of Kaduna have been mobilised to help close gaps in childhood immunisation after a recent vaccination exercise showed missed children.

The mobilisation followed a recent vaccination exercise that recorded 98 per cent settlement coverage and 86 per cent household coverage.

The mobilisation was carried out under the Fathers for Good Health, aka Male Majalisa, an initiative aimed at engaging fathers and male household heads in decisions affecting children’s health.

The programme is being implemented by the Kaduna State Primary Health Care Board with support from the United States government through UNICEF.

Speaking at a one-day orientation and inauguration of the initiative on Wednesday, Ibrahim Yisa of the National Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), Kaduna, said high settlement and household coverage had not translated into similar coverage among eligible children.

Mr Yisa said only 78 per cent of the targeted children were reached, leaving many children still needing identification and vaccination. He said the development had prompted health authorities to intensify community mobilisation and vaccination activities, particularly by engaging fathers and other influential community members.

According to him, 73 per cent of vaccinated children were reached outside conventional vaccination points, while 27 per cent were vaccinated through regular channels.

He said the figures underscored the need to take vaccination services closer to households and communities.

Mr Yisa said the authorities subsequently introduced “in-between round” activities in July to trace children who had missed previous vaccination exercises. He warned that children repeatedly missed during vaccination campaigns could remain vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases.

The EOC official also disclosed that Igabi was the only local government in Kaduna to record a poliovirus case between January and June 2026, stressing the importance of strengthening community participation in vaccination activities.

He, however, commended Igabi for recording one of the highest levels of settlement and household coverage in the state, adding that the performance had drawn national attention.

Mr Yisa urged the 40 fathers drawn from Igabi, Turunku, Panshanu and Gwaraji wards to use their influence to mobilise other parents and ensure that eligible children were vaccinated during subsequent rounds.

He also called for increased support from the local government and other stakeholders, including counterpart funding and active participation in immunisation activities.

The chairman of Igabi council, Sani Abdul, said the involvement of fathers would help improve immunisation coverage because male household heads often played an important role in healthcare decisions. He said many mothers were willing to take their children for vaccination but sometimes needed their husbands’ support and approval.

A UNICEF facilitator, Jamila Shehu, said the FGH initiative was designed to address male household heads’ influence on child vaccination decisions. She said the programme would engage fathers, traditional rulers and other community influencers through dialogue and advocacy to promote immunisation and child health, and help reach more children.

(NAN)