The Kaduna State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SPHCDA) says it targets over 2.8 million children for the second round of polio outbreak response immunisation.

The agency’s deputy director, Hamza Ibrahim-Hamza, disclosed on Friday in Kaduna that the vaccination would run from April 20 to April 23 in the state’s 23 local government areas.

He said that Kaduna hoped to achieve 85 per cent in the exercise.

“We are commencing the exercise on Saturday and hope to achieve total compliance by the parents and caregivers. We want to ensure that children from ages zero to five years are fully immunised,” Mr Ibrahim-Hamza stated.

Mr Ibrahim-Hamza said the agency had intensified efforts to involve traditional and religious leaders in tracking children under one year. He said at least two health workers would be sent to each hard-to-reach area for proper coverage.

Mr Ibrahim-Hamza appealed to parents, guardians, and caregivers to ensure they make their children available for immunisation during the campaign and routine immunisation at any nearby health centre or hospital.

“The vaccination will include house-to-house and in hospitals and we will supervise 1,168 health facilities so that all the communities will benefit, especially children less than one year,” the official said.

(NAN)