… Call for united actions to end Polio, zero dose

By Chioma Obinna

As Nigeria marked the 2025 World Immunisation Week and National Polio Week, health leaders and government officials in Lagos State on Tuesday called for united actions to end polio and close the gap in routine immunisation.

Speaking at the official flag-off ceremony of an Advocacy Walk in Lagos, the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu declared that no child must be left behind in the immunisation drive, calling for community mobilisation, myth-busting, and political commitment at all levels.

“We’re not just here to walk. We are here to advocate to update our people, to educate our communities, to debunk myths, and to ensure that every single child is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases,” she said.

Highlighting the campaign’s theme, “Humanly Possible: Saving Lives Through Immunisation,” Sanwo-Olu emphasised that Lagos State remains steadfast in its mission to ensure access to vaccines for every child, especially those who were missed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aligning it with Governor Babajide Sanwo-olu’s THEMES Plus agenda, she said: “We are not going to leave any child behind. We are going to find them. We are going to reach the unreached. And we are going to do it again and again until polio is history.”

She recalled that the State has been polio-free in the last two years, S

underscoring the power of political will in driving health outcomes.

“In synergy with the Ministry of Health, we will continue to champion advocacy and mobilise resources at all levels — local, state, and national — to protect every child.”

The First Lady announced the upcoming National Immunization Plus Days, scheduled from Saturday, May 3rd to Tuesday, May 6th, 2025. During this period, “Children aged 0 to 59 months at 0 to 5 years will receive two doses of oral polio vaccine, free of charge.” She stressed the importance of reaching “zero-dose children, children who missed out on the vaccination, especially during the COVID period,” urging mothers to ensure their children are immunized. “We’ve done it before, we’ll do it again. We will find them.”

Sanwo-olu called for collective action. “Let us make a collective pledge today that no child in Lagos will suffer from a disease we can prevent, that we will reach the unreached, and that we will end polio once and for all. Together, we will build a Lagos of zero polio and zero vaccine-preventable deaths. This is our vision.”

In her address, UNICEF’s Chief of Field Office for Southwest Nigeria, Celine Lafoucriere, called attention to the urgent need for deeper community health education to address vaccine hesitancy.

“We still have two million Nigerian children who have never received a vaccine. The problem isn’t just awareness — it’s belief. People hear about vaccines, but do they trust them? Do they understand their value?” she asked.

 “World Immunization Week and our walk for polio remind us all how far we have come. But it also reminds us all how far we must still go.”

Lafoucriere highlighted that 2 million Nigerian children remain unimmunised despite the overwhelming success of vaccines globally.

“Since 1974, vaccines have saved over 150 million lives worldwide… Yet we still have hesitancy. We still have people who think we are lying to them. That there are rumours and there are spreading rumors that these vaccines can kill. Why would any Nigerian parent leave their child at risk of dying of a preventable disease?”

She emphasized the need for comprehensive health education to combat misinformation and ensure the sustainability of immunization efforts. “Routine immunisation is our only sustainable way forward. So today here, together, as partners, we make one call. Let’s make sure that beyond awareness, we are here to support the government to make sure that the whole population is educated about health, educated to vaccines, and that there is not one single child unvaccinated in Nigeria.”

Lafoucriere warned that the return of polio through vaccine-derived strains is a critical threat.

“A 99.9 percent reduction in polio cases is not enough when the remaining 0.1 percent can put hundreds at risk. One infected child means 200 more may be vulnerable.”

She called for stronger, more sustainable investment in routine immunisation.

“Campaigns help, but the only way forward is education and permanent access to health services. We must support the health system, not just during polio week, but every week.”

Speaking, WHO State Coordinator, Dr. Chineye Okafor, emphasised that while Lagos has not recorded any vaccine-derived polio since 2023, challenges remain.

According to her, “We still have children in hard-to-reach areas. WHO will continue supporting the state through surveillance and technical assistance but we need more domestic investment to sustain progress.”

Okafor acknowledged the resilience of Lagos health workers and appealed for continued support to access remote settlements: “These are areas where there are no clinics, no health workers but there are children. They need us.”

Also speaking, the State Coordinator of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Emiju Segun underlined the campaign’s focus on rebuilding trust and tackling misinformation.

“We must develop strong guardrails against misinformation. Immunization is a right, and it’s humanly possible to reach every child, even in the toughest communities,” he said.

He warned of the ongoing risk from mutant virus strains and emphasised

 that “coverage alone is not enough quality, consistency, and education must follow.”

Speaking,  the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Bolaji Ogunlele called on young people to take ownership of the movement:

“Youth make up 60 percent of Lagos. If we’re not engaged, we’re not moving forward. This is our time to show that we care, to speak up for those who can’t.”

Also speaking, the wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Oluremi Hamzat challenged the audience to push beyond awareness into tangible grassroots action.

“We all know about vaccines, but how many of us are taking that message into the rural areas? That’s where the real challenge lies. We need to spread the message and we must all be ambassadors for this cause,” she urged.

The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos Primary HealthCare Board, Dr. Ibrahim Mustafa praised the collective efforts of frontline workers and reiterated the state’s commitment to an immunisation agenda that prioritises every community, every child.