The Katsina State government says no fewer than 2.9 million children were reached and vaccinated against polio in the state during the March 2026 campaign exercise.

The executive secretary of the state’s primary health care agency, Shamsudeen Yahaya, disclosed this at a media dialogue in Katsina on Wednesday.

“During the March 2026 campaign, we implemented targeted strategies focusing on high-risk and non-compliance areas across the state.

“I am pleased to share that over 2.954 million children were reached and vaccinated. The campaign covered all local government areas, wards, and settlements with a combination of house-to-house, fixed post, and special team strategies,” he said.

He, however, said that in spite of these achievements, the state government has also identified key challenges, especially persistent non-compliance in some communities, and missed children due to absent or poor follow-up systems

Other challenges,  he mentioned, includes gaps in data reporting and real-time tracking, and also need for stronger community engagement and localised messaging

According to Mr Yahaya, these lessons are not setbacks; they are opportunities for improvement, allowing them to do better and focus on the April 2026 campaign.

“For the April campaign, our goal is clear to vaccinate every eligible child and surpass the achievements of the March round, especially among newly identified populations.

“To achieve this, the state has made significant preparations, including the deployment of 3,761 house-to-house teams, 993 special teams, and also 361 fixed post teams.

“We have more than 3,394,500 doses of Noval Oral Polio Vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) already in the state cold store, in preparation for the April campaign,” he said.

He explained that the distribution to LGAs is already ongoing to ensure full readiness before the campaign begins, adding that a series of social mobilisation, community engagement activities and community cinema are ongoing to create awareness.

The executive secretary further appreciated the journalists for their continued partnership and commitment to improving the health and well-being of Katsina children.

“Your role as media professionals and digital influencers is not just important; it is critical to the success of this campaign,” he said.

The media dialogue was organised in collaboration with UNICEF, WHO and other partners.

 (NAN)