The Health Educator of Warawa Local Government Area (LGA) in Kano State, Bello Jafaru, has revealed how community sensitization and traditional leaders' support helped overcome vaccine resistance during the recently concluded polio immunization campaign.
Speaking in an interview, Jafaru disclosed that the campaign exceeded its target, immunizing 59,391 children against the initial goal of 57,754 children in the local government area.
Strategic Community Engagement
"We did massive sensitization before the campaign. We held advocacy meetings, taskforce meetings, and town hall meetings with stakeholders. We explained the challenges we had in the previous campaign and what we needed from them to avoid repeating vaccine resistance," Jafaru explained.
He recalled a previous vaccination round where parents in Jigawa ward resisted the vaccine until traditional leaders intervened. "We had to do community dialogue in that settlement. The people told us their concerns, and we listened. That helped us solve the problem," he added.
Overcoming Resistance
Despite the extensive preparation, the recent campaign still faced isolated cases of resistance. Jafaru cited an instance where a woman refused to allow her children to be vaccinated.
"But thanks to our non-compliance committee and the support of traditional leaders, we were able to resolve it. The committee first spoke to her, and when that didn't work, the Hakimi instructed that she and her children be brought for immunization," he said.
According to Jafaru, the non-compliance committee comprises representatives from each ward, including health workers and community influencers who play crucial roles in convincing hesitant parents.
Call to Action
Jafaru urged parents to take polio immunization seriously. "It is free, safe, and protects children from polio and other diseases. Parents should take their children to the health facility to be vaccinated," he emphasized.
This successful campaign is part of the broader initiative by the Kano State Government, in collaboration with UNICEF, to ensure that no child in the state suffers from polio by December 2025.
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