Zamfara State health authorities in North-West Nigeria have visited Kaura Namoda Local Government Area following concerns over six reported cases of polio, making it the local government area with the highest number of cases in the country.
The team, led by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nafisa Mohammed, accompanied by development partners, met with traditional institutions and other critical stakeholders to identify the causes of the outbreak and discuss measures to contain its spread.
Zamfara State has recorded about 22 cases of polio across several local government areas from 2025 to date with Kaura Namoda accounting for six cases.
The development has prompted the state government to direct health authorities, led by the Commissioner for Health, to visit the affected local government area and identify the underlying factors contributing to the outbreak.
At the Emir’s Palace in Kaura Namoda, discussions among stakeholders focused on the reasons behind the rising number of cases despite government interventions in the health sector.
Among the challenges identified were traditional and religious beliefs, political interference, inadequate manpower in some health facilities, and concerns over the effectiveness of coordination by ward-level polio focal persons during vaccination exercises.
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The Health Commissioner said the visit was aimed at identifying practical solutions to the problem through direct engagement with stakeholders and feedback from communities on the challenges affecting vaccination efforts.
Earlier, the Commissioner and her team visited various health facilities in the local government area to assess the situation and observe healthcare delivery firsthand.
During interactions with women at some of the facilities, the Commissioner encouraged mothers and caregivers to ensure their children receive the recommended vaccines, stressing the importance of immunisation in protecting children against preventable diseases.
The visit ended with renewed discussions on addressing the identified challenges, strengthening community participation, and improving vaccination coverage.
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(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
