YOBE TARGETS 80% VACCINATION COVERAGE BY 2026 AMID RISING DISEASE OUTBREAKS
By Opeyemi Olugbemi
Damaturu, Nigeria – In a renewed effort to strengthen public health and reduce child mortality, the Yobe State Government has announced a bold target of achieving 80% vaccination coverage by 2026.
This commitment was made during a media dialogue held in Damaturu to commemorate the 2025 World Immunisation Week. Speaking at the event, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muhammad Gana, said the government is stepping up efforts to reach under-vaccinated and hard-to-reach communities across the state.
“Unvaccinated children pose a serious threat to public health. They are the most vulnerable in repeated outbreaks of diseases such as diphtheria, meningitis, and polio. We must act decisively,” Dr. Gana stated.
Despite progress in immunisation rates compared to previous national health surveys, the state continues to record outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. The detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 and 3 in recent months has heightened concern among health officials.
According to the State Primary Health Care Management Board, 17.5% of children in Yobe are still classified as zero-dose—having received no routine vaccines. Two local government areas, Gulani and Geidam, remain hotspots for zero-dose cases nationally.
The Director of Disease Control, Umar Chiroma, noted that new outreach strategies are being rolled out, including mobile clinics and intensified rural engagement, to close immunisation gaps.
Neighbouring Borno State is also ramping up its outreach, targeting remote settlements and transit points to ensure children on the move are not left behind. Officials there say it’s part of a “Big Catch-Up” campaign designed to recover losses from disrupted vaccine access in previous years.
UNICEF Health Officer, Dr. Bashir Elegbede, warned that over 2 million Nigerian children are currently unvaccinated, and emphasized the need for urgent, community-specific interventions. He said Nigeria must reduce its zero-dose rate by 25% by 2025 and 50% by 2030 to meet global targets.
This year’s theme for World Immunisation Week, “Immunisation for all is humanly possible,” underscores the importance of collective responsibility in safeguarding every child’s right to health.
