Insecurity, Vaccine Hesitancy Threaten Polio Eradication In Katsina – Save The Children

Save the Children International has warned that insecurity, vaccine hesitancy and difficulties accessing hard-to-reach communities remain major obstacles to polio eradication in Katsina State, calling for stronger collaboration among government, development partners and communities to protect children against the disease.

The organisation, through the CORE Group Partners Project (CGPP), made the call during activities marking the 2026 World Polio Day at the Katsina State Primary Healthcare Agency, where health officials, development partners and other stakeholders gathered to renew commitments towards ending polio.

The event, commemorated on October 24 under the theme: “One Day, One Focus: Ending Polio for Good,” featured remarks by the Acting Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Primary Healthcare Agency, Dr Shema’u Kabir, who thanked the state government and development partners for their support in improving healthcare delivery and protecting residents’ well-being.

Kabir acknowledged the contributions of the government and partners to immunisation and other public health interventions, stressing the importance of sustained collaboration in addressing health challenges and ensuring essential services reach communities across the state.

In its World Polio Day message, the representative of Save the Children, Balarabe Abdullkadir, said every child missed during vaccination campaigns remained vulnerable to infection, warning that gaps in immunisation coverage could undermine efforts to interrupt poliovirus transmission.

“Every child who misses vaccination remains at risk. Every missed child presents a challenge to our collective efforts to stop transmission,” the organisation stated.

It explained that, through CGPP, Save the Children works with government health agencies, traditional and religious leaders, community volunteers, health workers and development partners to strengthen routine immunisation, support vaccination campaigns, identify zero-dose and under-immunised children, and improve disease surveillance.

The organisation stressed that polio eradication required more than vaccination campaigns, noting that community engagement, public awareness and trust-building were essential to overcoming misconceptions and reaching children who had not received recommended vaccines.

It also highlighted the need for stronger coordination across border communities, explaining that population movement for trade, family visits and other activities could leave children unprotected if vaccination efforts were not coordinated.

“Diseases do not respect borders. Children and families move between communities and across international borders for trade, family visits, and other reasons. This movement creates a need for stronger coordination between neighbouring communities and health authorities,” it said.

Save the Children called on governments and policymakers to sustain funding for polio eradication and routine immunisation, strengthen primary healthcare services and ensure vaccination teams could reach underserved and security-compromised communities.

It also urged traditional and religious leaders to address misconceptions about vaccines and encourage caregivers to ensure their children received all recommended immunisations.

Meanwhile, the Director of Epidemiology and Disease Control and Incident Manager of the state’s Polio Emergency Operation Centre, Dr Kabir Suleiman, disclosed that Katsina State was preparing to deploy more than 7,000 vaccination teams across 28 local government areas for a campaign scheduled to begin on November 7, 2026.

He said the exercise would prioritise high-risk communities and children who had missed previous vaccination opportunities.

Suleiman explained that although Nigeria was certified free of wild poliovirus in 2020, circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus remained a concern in areas where immunisation coverage was inadequate.

He said environmental surveillance had detected circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus in Katsina following a period without recorded detection, prompting vaccination interventions to prevent further transmission.

According to him, previous response activities reached more than 15,000 children, while another campaign targeting over 40,000 children in security-compromised settlements was being prepared.

“We have already perfected all plans for that campaign. We are targeting over 40,000 children in security-compromised settlements, and we are taking necessary measures to ensure that all eligible children are vaccinated,” he said.

Suleiman identified insecurity as the major challenge facing vaccination efforts, explaining that some settlements remained difficult for health workers to access.

He added that vaccination teams were adopting strategies to reach children in schools, markets, mosques, churches, border communities and other public places.

The official also identified vaccine hesitancy among some caregivers as a challenge, urging parents to take advantage of free vaccination services provided through government and partner-supported programmes.

On diphtheria, Suleiman said the state had strengthened surveillance, case management and vaccination activities.

He disclosed that more than 150,000 children had been vaccinated during the first phase of the diphtheria response, while about 200 patients had received treatment at designated facilities in recent months.

He said the state government and development partners were continuing interventions in areas with higher transmission to reduce infections and protect vulnerable children.

Save the Children reiterated that insecurity, misinformation and missed vaccination opportunities must be addressed to prevent setbacks in polio eradication.

“Ending polio requires focused action every day, not only on World Polio Day,” the organisation said, calling on health workers, caregivers, community leaders, government agencies and development partners to sustain their commitment until transmission was stopped.