The Nasarawa State Government, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund, has said it is targeting 1,550,705 children for a polio vaccination campaign scheduled to hold from May 2 to May 5, 2026.

The campaign will include polio vaccination, nutrition services, and basic healthcare, all to be provided through designated health camps across the 13 local government areas of the state.

The Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Usman Saleh, disclosed this in Lafia during a media dialogue on the polio outbreak campaign.

He said the initiative aims to improve on the previous exercise, which recorded 93 per cent coverage, noting that more efforts are needed to achieve optimal results.

According to him, cases of acute malnutrition were identified during the last campaign, prompting the introduction of health camps to provide treatment and minor healthcare services.

“Our target is to reach at least 1.5 million eligible children, and achieving this requires disseminating accurate and timely information to all segments of society,” he said.

The Director of Nutrition at the agency, Salome Aya, said the intervention will be implemented in four local government areas, Awe, Nasarawa, Keffi, and Toto.

She explained that the selected areas were chosen due to a high burden of malnutrition, with the programme initially covering 50 per cent of wards, especially in rural and hard-to-reach communities.

Aya added that children identified as malnourished during the vaccination exercise would be referred to health camps, where they would receive treatment, including Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food provided by UNICEF.

A Health Specialist on Immunisation with UNICEF Kaduna Field Office, Dr Ahmed Tsofo, said the campaign is aimed at preventing the spread of polio among children aged zero to 59 months.

He described polio as a highly infectious disease that can cause permanent disability or death, stressing that vaccination remains the most effective preventive measure.

Tsofo attributed the continued spread of the virus to gaps in immunisation coverage, poor hygiene practices, open defecation, and environmental contamination.

He urged the media to intensify public awareness, counter misinformation, and encourage caregivers to ensure their children are vaccinated.

Also speaking, media consultant Dr Kalu Idika emphasised the role of journalists in promoting accurate information and influencing public health behaviour.

Stakeholders at the event called for collective efforts to ensure that no eligible child is missed during the vaccination campaign.