By Dare Akogun
The Kwara State Government has announced plans to vaccinate over one million children under the age of five during the April round of the 2025 National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) campaign as part of ongoing efforts to protect children from poliomyelitis.
The four-day immunisation exercise is scheduled to hold across the 16 local government areas of the state from Saturday, April 26 to Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
Executive Secretary of the Kwara State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KWSPHCDA), Professor Nusirat Elelu, disclosed this during a planning meeting aimed at assessing the state’s readiness for the campaign.
Prof. Elelu explained that although Nigeria has been certified free of the Wild Polio Virus, neighbouring countries continue to report cases, posing a threat of reintroduction.
She noted that the circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus remains a concern, making sustained immunisation essential.
“Poliomyelitis is a highly infectious viral disease that affects mostly children under five years. It can spread through the faecal-oral route or via contaminated food and water. The virus multiplies in the intestine and can cause irreversible paralysis,” she said.
She emphasized that all children aged 0 to 5 years, regardless of their previous vaccination history, are eligible for the vaccine.
“The vaccine is safe, effective, and does not have an overdose,” she added.
Prof. Elelu urged parents, caregivers, religious leaders, and school authorities to cooperate with vaccination teams who will visit homes, markets, religious centres, and schools during the exercise.
She also reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to collaborating with national and international development partners, including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), to maintain population immunity.
Prof. Elelu commended the support of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for prioritising health care, noting that his administration’s financial commitment has ensured that quality and affordable healthcare remains accessible to all residents of Kwara.
She added that training of health workers is already underway to ensure smooth implementation of the campaign, while expressing appreciation for the dedication of health workers and development partners.
The Executive Secretary called for continuous public support to keep Kwara polio-free and to safeguard the health of its children.
