The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched a large-scale integrated immunisation campaign in Taraba State, aiming to vaccinate over one million children under five against polio and other preventable childhood diseases.

The campaign, flagged off in Jalingo as part of the National Immunisation Plus Days initiative, seeks to reach underserved and hard-to-reach communities with not just vaccines, but a package of vital child health services.

Chief of UNICEF’s Bauchi Field Office, Dr. Nuzhat Rafique, stressed the urgency of the campaign, calling it a decisive push toward polio eradication in Nigeria.

“Today is very important for every child in Taraba State. Polio is one of the diseases that must be eradicated, and this is achievable through vaccination,” she said.

“There are over one million children under five in Taraba, and each and every child needs this vaccine. My special request to fathers and mothers is to make their children available for vaccination because this is the last year of our support for the polio vaccine. The whole world is watching Nigeria to achieve polio eradication, so we must reach even the last child.”

Alhaji Aminu Jauro Hassan, chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in the state, praised UNICEF’s collaboration with the government but noted challenges with vaccine uptake in parts of Jalingo, Ardo-Kola, and Bali, urging more parental compliance.

The campaign also includes vitamin A supplements, deworming, nutrition, and health education — all geared towards boosting child survival and curbing disease outbreaks.