Khadijah Aliyu
The United nations childrens fund UNICEF says Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states account for about 70% of reported cases of circulating polio variants in Nigeria.
The chief of UNICEF field office Kano, Mr.Rahma Rihood Muhammad Farah stated this during a volunteer community mobilizers (VCM) training held in Ungoggo local government area, Kano.
According to him, the volunteers were recruited to help stop the spread of the circulating variant polio virus type 2 (cVPV2) across the five states.
Mr. Rahma maintained that 2,108 VCM were recruited in the first phase across 23 LGAs in Kano and Katsina while 3,400 will be engaged in two states.
“with funding support from BMGF ,UNICEF in collaboration with the KNSPHCMB is delighted to expand the network of VCM in Kano and Katsina states”
The chief of field office pointed out that, the training will be followed by a 10 day micro census in the selected communities where the VCM s will document all under 5 children and pregnant women for follow up and referral.
He said the VCMs are a group of influential women selected from communities with high number of unvaccinated children (zero dose) and children who have missed polio vaccine.
“The VCM network has been in existence in Nigeria since 2012 saddled with the responsibilities of ensuring that all children under the age of 5 Receive oral polio vaccination and other vaccines”
The interim management committee chairman IMC Ungoggo local government, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi described UNICEF as partners in the fight aginst maternal and infant mortality.
He urged participants to utilize the knowledge gained and reiterated their support to achieve the desired objectives.
Some of the participants who spoke to Radio Nigeria Amina Aminu Sani and Fatima Haruna Shu’aibu described the training as apt.
Radio Nigeria reports that the training was organized by UNICEF in collaboration with the Kano state primary healthcare management board (KNSPHCMB).
