Kumbotso council mobilises health workers and community leaders as officials warn of possible silent transmission
Kumbotso Local Government Area of Kano State has commenced an emergency vaccination exercise following the detection of poliovirus in a child in Challawa Ward.
The Vice Chairman of the council, Sulaiman Dauda Basarake, announced the intervention during a stakeholders’ meeting on the outbreak, saying the council would work with health officials to ensure that all eligible children are vaccinated.
The Head of the Primary Healthcare Department, Lawan Ahmad Getso, said the confirmed case had raised concerns about possible transmission of the virus to other children and communities.
He urged traditional, religious and community leaders to mobilise residents and encourage parents to participate in the vaccination exercise.
The LGA Facilitator, Naziru Sani, said the detection of one infected child could indicate that other people were carrying the virus without showing symptoms.
He therefore urged parents to allow their children to receive the vaccines, stressing that widespread community participation was necessary to interrupt transmission.
A Cluster Consultant with the World Health Organisation, Dr Mukhtar Ali, said the affected child had received routine vaccinations, including polio vaccines, on more than one occasion.
He explained that some people infected with poliovirus may not show symptoms, making the vaccination of all eligible children important in preventing further transmission.
The Health Councillor, Haruna Shera, commended health workers for their commitment to the exercise, saying he had personally witnessed their efforts during the vaccination campaign.
Basarake also said the council chairman and councillors would personally participate in the exercise to ensure that no eligible child was missed.
He disclosed that the council had previously ordered the closure of a school in Na’ibawa Ward after its head allegedly resisted the vaccination of pupils.
The vice chairman also warned vaccination workers against falsifying records or wasting vaccines, urging them to carry out their duties responsibly.
He assured stakeholders that the council would consider the requests made during the meeting and take necessary measures to support the emergency vaccination exercise.