{"id":161313,"date":"2025-05-04T22:40:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T21:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/fcta-targets-1116677-children-in-2025-polio-immunization-campaign"},"modified":"2025-05-04T22:40:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T21:40:00","slug":"fcta-targets-1116677-children-in-2025-polio-immunization-campaign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/policy\/fcta-targets-1116677-children-in-2025-polio-immunization-campaign","title":{"rendered":"FCTA targets 1,116,677 children in 2025 polio immunization campaign"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #ff6600\"><strong>Africa-Press &#8211; Nigeria. <\/strong><\/span>The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has flagged off a campaign to immunize over 1,116,677 children against polio, with a resounding call on all residents to support the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) holding from May 4 to 10, 2025.<\/p>\n<p>At the official launch held in the Palace of Sarki Jiwa, HRH Alj Idris Musa over the weekend in Abuja, the Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, led the charge, declaring that no eligible child in the FCT should miss the life-saving oral polio vaccine.<\/p>\n<p>Represented at the occasion by the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babagana Adam, Fasawe noted that vaccine-preventable diseases remain a major cause of childhood illness and death in Nigeria and the FCT.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe cannot afford complacency. From May 4 to 10, we must mobilize all mothers, caregivers, schools, churches, mosques to ensure every child is reached,\u201d she stressed.<\/p>\n<p>Fasawe explained that the campaign is not just about vaccination, but also about restoring public confidence and building demand through effective communication and community engagement.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe FCTA has adopted an integrated health approach to expose caregivers and children to multiple interventions that improve their health and allow them to thrive,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>To ensure widespread coverage, the FCT has deployed 154 fixed post teams across health facilities and 1,152 house-to-house teams that will comb through communities, including homes, markets, schools, churches, and mosques.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese teams will ensure that no child no matter where they live is left behind. I rely on all of you present today to become NIPDs ambassadors and take this message to every corner of the FCT,\u201d Fasawe said, adding that the effort aligns with Nigeria\u2019s commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).<\/p>\n<p>Earlier, the Sarkin Jiwa, His Royal Highness Dr. Idris Musa, decried lapses in grassroots immunization and challenged traditional leaders and health officials to step up their responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEnough is enough we cannot afford to waste any more time,\u201d he declared. \u201cBy tomorrow morning, all local chiefs and officials must be on the ground advising and supporting their communities. This is not the time to sit in offices.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The monarch emphasized the importance of routine immunization, citing global examples like Saudi Arabia, where pilgrims are not allowed entry without polio vaccination.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s how serious the rest of the world is about polio. We must take it just as seriously here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Musa also called for a review of FCT\u2019s micro-planning strategies to match the territory\u2019s rapidly growing population and the associated health risks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFCT is expanding, and infections are coming in. We must act fast and plan smarter,\u201d he warned.<\/p>\n<p>He announced a high-level meeting with stakeholders, including the World Health Organization (WHO), to enhance coordination.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSupervision is key. Let the Directors and Heads of Departments get out of their offices and into the field. That\u2019s how we regain trust,\u201d he said, pledging his full support to the immunization campaign.<\/p>\n<p>In his goodwill message, the WHO Country Representative to Nigeria, Dr. Walter Kazadi Mulombo, praised the FCT for its swift and strategic response to public health threats, describing it as a model for other states.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m very proud of what the FCT has achieved. When the diphtheria outbreak hit Nigeria, the FCT was the only place where it was crushed from the beginning. That shows the strength of leadership here,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Mulombo emphasized that immunization is not just a public health duty, but a fundamental human right.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cVaccination is a human right for our children. This campaign is launching during Africa Vaccination Week, reminding us that immunization is humanly possible and morally necessary,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<p>He explained that while Nigeria was certified polio-free, the resurgence of vaccine-derived strains poses a renewed threat. \u201cWe now have a better tool the novel oral polio vaccine (nOPV) and we must finish the job before the end of this year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>He applauded health workers in the FCT for their commitment, acknowledging their willingness to prioritize immunization even during busy schedules.<\/p>\n<p>Mulombo also commended the political will of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the traditional institutions for their support.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf Nigeria gets it right, Africa will be free of polio. And when Africa is free, the world will be free,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n<p>The Permanent Secretary of the FCTA, Dr. Babagana Adam, who was represented by Dr Ruqqaya Wamakko, Acting Executive Secretary of the FCT Primary Healthcare Board, emphasized the importance of collective responsibility in maintaining Nigeria\u2019s certification as a polio-free country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday, we are here to flag off the April 2025 National Immunization Plus Days a national assignment for the benefit of our women and children, particularly the most vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>For More News And Analysis About <a href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\">Nigeria<\/a> Follow <a href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/\">Africa-Press<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Africa-Press &#8211; Nigeria. The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has flagged off a campaign to immunize over 1,116,677 children against polio, with a resounding call on all residents to support the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) holding from May 4 to 10, 2025. At the official launch held in the Palace of Sarki Jiwa, HRH [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":161312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,29,28,14,2660],"tags":[1570,2140,254],"class_list":["post-161313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all-news","category-head-lines","category-homepage-english","category-policy","category-to-homepage","tag-africa-press","tag-africa-press-nigeria-2","tag-nigeria"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.1 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>FCTA targets 1,116,677 children in 2025 polio immunization campaign - Nigeria<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/fcta-targets-1116677-children-in-2025-polio-immunization-campaign\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"FCTA targets 1,116,677 children in 2025 polio immunization campaign\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Africa-Press &#8211; Nigeria. The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has flagged off a campaign to immunize over 1,116,677 children against polio, with a resounding call on all residents to support the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) holding from May 4 to 10, 2025. At the official launch held in the Palace of Sarki Jiwa, HRH [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/fcta-targets-1116677-children-in-2025-polio-immunization-campaign\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Nigeria\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-04T21:40:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"cfeditoren\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/fcta-targets-1116677-children-in-2025-polio-immunization-campaign#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/fcta-targets-1116677-children-in-2025-polio-immunization-campaign\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"cfeditoren\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/#\/schema\/person\/068c7ab4e9634ae78ec5d54ec46598bb\"},\"headline\":\"FCTA targets 1,116,677 children in 2025 polio immunization campaign\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-04T21:40:00+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/fcta-targets-1116677-children-in-2025-polio-immunization-campaign\"},\"wordCount\":790,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/fcta-targets-1116677-children-in-2025-polio-immunization-campaign#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/static.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/sites\/3\/2025\/05\/MohamadReza1746385835.077357.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Africa Press\",\"Africa Press-Nigeria\",\"Nigeria\"],\"articleSection\":[\"all news\",\"head lines\",\"homepage-english\",\"Policy\",\"to-homepage\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/fcta-targets-1116677-children-in-2025-polio-immunization-campaign#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/fcta-targets-1116677-children-in-2025-polio-immunization-campaign\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/nigeria\/uncategorized\/fcta-targets-1116677-children-in-2025-polio-immunization-campaign\",\"name\":\"FCTA targets 1,116,677 children in 2025 polio immunization campaign - 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