Zulaihat Dikko Radda, First Lady of Katsina State and a leading advocate for polio eradication, has launched a renewed campaign to eliminate the crippling disease across the state.

Speaking at an event held at Government House, Katsina, to commemorate World Polio Day, Radda called for stronger collaboration among families, community leaders, and health authorities to sustain the fight against polio and other preventable childhood diseases.

“As the world unites to observe World Polio Day, we are reminded that our shared fight against this crippling disease remains a pressing reality for many communities in Nigeria, particularly here in Katsina,” Radda said.

She urged parents to ensure their children receive full immunisation, describing vaccination as “a gift of a future they deserve.” She also appealed to traditional and religious leaders to leverage their influence in mobilising communities toward complete vaccine coverage.

Highlighting the emerging threat of the circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2), Radda disclosed that Nigeria has recorded more than 70 cases across 14 states and 46 local government areas in 2024, with Katsina now identified as an epicentre of transmission.

“In 2024 alone, Katsina recorded 17 cases, with two more emerging this year in Danmusa Local Government Area,” she said. “These are children who deserve to run, play, and grow up free from preventable suffering.”

She reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring no child in Katsina is left behind in the state’s vaccination drive.

Rahama Mohammed Farah, chief of UNICEF Field Office, Kano, commended the state’s renewed efforts, noting that the goal of a polio-free Nigeria is achievable through sustained community engagement and political will.

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“Polio eradication is truly within our reach, but success depends on our collective resolve to sustain momentum,” Farah said. “Every child deserves a life free from the crippling effects of polio.”

He added that UNICEF, in partnership with government agencies and local stakeholders, has mobilised thousands of vaccination teams across Katsina to ensure no child is missed.

Also speaking, Shamsudeen Yahaya, executive secretary of the Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency, pledged to intensify awareness campaigns against polio and other child-killer diseases across the state’s 34 local government areas.

The event was attended by representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO), polio survivors, UNICEF officials, and the wives of all 34 local government chairmen in the state.