The Kano State Government has launched a June 2025 polio outbreak response campaign, aiming to vaccinate 3.9 million children under five, official sources confirm. Dr Nasir Mahmoud, Director General of the Kano State Primary Healthcare Management Board, announced the campaign during a media briefing today, noting it aligns with national efforts to sustain Nigeria’s polio-free status and curb recent type 2 poliovirus detection.
Dr. Mahmoud pointed to rising challenges: community resistance, poor data reporting, and insecurity that hampered previous rounds. He highlighted Ungogo LGA as having the lowest compliance in May and revealed that local government areas will now be ranked monthly by performance to boost accountability. He also pledged Kano would aim to end polio transmission and significantly reduce maternal mortality by December 2025, with traditional rulers and LGA chairmen expected to support the effort.
UNICEF’s chief field officer in Kano, Rahma Mohammed, underscored the seriousness of the resurgence, reporting type 2 poliovirus cases in Warawa, Bunkure, Kano Municipal, and Nasarawa LGAs. She warned that “even a single case… poses a threat to children everywhere” and called for urgent coordinated awareness and immunization campaigns. Mohammed also urged release of counterpart funding, strong supervision, and for the government to declare a public health emergency to counter vaccine misinformation.
The campaign is supported by WHO, UNICEF, and other partners, in line with global eradication goals. Kano aims to build on its 2020 polio-free certification by targeting these new infection hotspots proactively through house-to-house vaccination, surveillance, and community engagement.
