The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has partnered with the Borno State Ministry of Health and Human Services to vaccinate 1.6 million children against polio and other preventable childhood diseases in one of Nigeria’s most vulnerable states.
Immunisation Campaign Targets 85% Coverage
According to the agency, the 2026 immunisation campaign in Borno aims to achieve 85 per cent coverage for children under six years of age. This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen routine vaccination and reduce child mortality from preventable diseases.
The development was disclosed by UNICEF Health Specialist, Dr Hassan Malgwi, during a media dialogue to mark World Immunisation Week in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital. He stated that diseases such as polio remain preventable through routine and coordinated immunisation, urging parents and guardians to ensure their children are vaccinated.
Dr Malgwi also emphasised the importance of hygiene and environmental sanitation, noting that clean surroundings play a key role in preventing diseases such as cholera and other infections that affect children. He revealed that 229,924 children have already been fully immunised across 19 local government areas in the state.
Government Commitment to Health Goals
Speaking at the event, the State Director of Community and Family Health Services, Abdulwahab Mala, said the government is working toward achieving 85 per cent immunisation coverage before the end of the year. He explained that this target would help state health authorities and the Borno State Primary Health Care Development Board ensure protection for more than two million children, especially those in hard-to-reach and conflict-affected communities.
Mala noted that immunisation efforts and related health programmes have already achieved about 68 per cent coverage, based on data collected in collaboration with UNICEF and other development partners since 2020.
Overcoming Security Challenges
Despite security challenges in parts of the state, Mala said collaboration with the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and the Nigerian military has enabled health workers to reach children in previously inaccessible areas over the past 15 years. He added that sustained partnerships remain critical to expanding immunisation coverage and preventing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases among children in Borno State.
