Ms Saeed-Abdelatef, the United Nations Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) Nigeria Country Representative, has confirmed the progress in primary health care revitalisation. She noted that over 1,160 facilities have been upgraded nationwide, with another 2,800 in the process of being equipped. These upgrades and equipment are crucial in improving the quality of health care services and ensuring that more people have access to essential health care.
Saeed-Abdelatef said this on Tuesday in Abuja, during the Second Quarter 2025 review meeting of the Northern Traditional Leaders Committee on Primary Health Care Delivery (NTLC), chaired by Emir of Argungu, His Highness, Alhaji Sa’Maila Muhammad Mera.
The revitalisation effort is in continuation of its resolve in polio eradication, which, according to her, was nearing the final stretch in the country and globally.
Warning, she expressed that nomadic and mobile populations, as well as children in insecure and hard-to-reach areas, continue to miss vaccinations.
She emphasised the critical role of traditional rulers in breaking transmission in the Lake Chad region, where cultural and linguistic ties extend across 17 countries.
She also sought the support of traditional rulers in the upcoming integrated measles, rubella, and polio vaccine campaign. This campaign will introduce a new vaccine into Nigeria’s routine immunisation programme, a vaccine that has been rigorously tested and proven to be safe and effective in preventing these diseases.
The UNICEF chief noted that the engagement of traditional leaders remained central to vaccination successes, ensuring supervision, accountability, and improved compliance among caregivers.
During the review meeting, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency (NPHCDA) reported a significant 46 per cent decline in variant poliovirus cases in Nigeria compared to the previous year, a testament to the progress in polio eradication.
In his welcome remarks, Mera urged members to intensify their efforts, stressing that the final stretch in the fight against poliovirus was often the toughest.
The Emir also bemoaned the challenges in the uptake of other integrated services during vaccination campaigns, noting low acceptance of HPV vaccines and anti-malaria interventions in some areas.
He called on traditional leaders to educate communities, reassure caregivers, and mobilise households to embrace all vaccines.
Mera also commended NPHCDA and its partners for introducing the strategic shift in vaccination campaigns and welcomed support from Gavi for intensified community sensitisation.
Dr Muyi Aina, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer (ED/CEO), NPHCDA, said that the reported poliovirus cases had declined from 78 per cent recorded last year to 46 per cent as of today.
He said that between April and June 2025, over 71 per cent of planned settlements were reached during campaigns, rising to 78 per cent in June, while vaccination coverage increased from 81 to 84 per cent.
He also addressed persistent challenges, including fake finger-marking and insecurity, which he said undermined the credibility of the campaigns.
He emphasised that providing accurate information to parents remained critical, as no mother would knowingly endanger her child.
In the same vein, Dr Sam Okiror, Senior Programme Officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) in Nigeria, in a goodwill message delivered by its Representative on behalf of the Country Director, commended traditional leaders for their commitment to past immunisation drives, including the newly introduced Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.
Okiror noted the success of the strategy, which empowered traditional leaders to supervise and hold vaccination teams accountable, adding that the approach helped address challenges such as fake finger-marking and non-compliance.
He, however, identified two pressing obstacles: low routine immunisation coverage and insecurity in states such as Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Niger, and Borno.
He also urged royal fathers to negotiate safe passage for vaccinators and other primary healthcare services in security-compromised communities.
The NTLC meeting, attended by government representatives, development partners, and traditional rulers from 19 states and the FCT, provided a platform for experience sharing, strategic alignment, and reinforcement of community-led approaches in polio eradication and primary health care delivery, highlighting the integral role of the community in these efforts.
Polio or poliomyelitis is a highly contagious viral disease that mainly affects children under five. It can cause paralysis, respiratory problems, and sometimes death.
The virus spreads through contaminated food, water, or direct contact. Most infections show no symptoms, but some cause fever, fatigue, and limb pain.
Polio is entirely preventable through vaccination, which is why campaigns like Nigeria’s NTLC-led efforts are critical.
