Toro LGA Begins Joint Polio, Azithromycin Drive for 225,050 Children

By Khalid Idris Doya 

 

Toro, Bauchi, Nigeria — May 3, 2026(Series News Online)- Toro Local Government Area in Bauchi State has commenced a six-day immunisation drive aimed at vaccinating 225,050 children against polio and other childhood illnesses.

The campaign also features the administration of Azithromycin to children between one and 59 months to reduce child mortality and enhance child health outcomes in the area.

Flagging off the Supplementary Immunisation Plus Days, SIPDs, on Sunday at Lame Magama Gumau Primary Health Care Centre, the Local Immunisation Officer for Toro LGA, Mr. Musa Danladi, said the polio vaccine would be given to children aged zero to 59 months.

He reported that the exercise had achieved early milestones, largely due to the deployment of digital platforms for tracking and reporting.

“All our teams in Toro LGA have successfully uploaded and are using applications that support their work, including the Finite App for electronic data collection and the e-Tally system. These tools have enhanced real-time reporting and monitoring,” Danladi said.

Danladi confirmed that all 17 wards in the LGA had been mobilised, with vaccination teams already deployed.

He lauded the Executive Chairman of the LGA, Pharm. Ibrahim Abubakar Dembo, for providing logistics and administrative backing from the pre-implementation phase through to the flag-off.

According to him, the Bauchi State Primary Health Care Development Board, with the support of its Chairman, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, ensured sufficient provision of vaccines, auto-disable syringes, cotton wool, and Ziploc boxes, among other materials.

He also acknowledged the contributions of development partners, including eHealth Africa, WHO, UNICEF, and the CDC.

“eHealth Africa, in particular, provided real-time technical support for digital tools, ensuring that any application-related issues encountered by field teams were promptly resolved,” he added.

Danladi clarified that the ongoing exercise was under the Supplementary Immunisation Plus Days, SIPDs, which differs from the National Immunisation Plus Days, NIPDs.

“Unlike NIPDs conducted nationwide, SIPDs target selected states affected by circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus, cVDPV, which is why only specific areas are participating in this round,” he explained.

He said the campaign had adopted a new integrated approach that combines polio vaccination with Azithromycin distribution.

“Previously, teams only administered oral polio vaccines to children aged 0 to 59 months. Now, we have integrated Azithromycin distribution. Each household visit involves two teams, one for polio vaccination and another for Azithromycin,” Danladi explained.

He noted that while the dual approach strengthens health service delivery, it has extended the duration spent at each household.

“What used to take about four to five minutes per household now takes up to 10 minutes. It is more time-consuming, but necessary for better health outcomes,” he said.

He stated that the polio vaccination would run for four days, with a two-day mop-up if required, while Azithromycin distribution would last five days with a possible one-day extension.

Danladi assured that sufficient doses had been supplied to cover the target population of 225,050 eligible children.

He explained that polio teams consist of three members: a vaccinator, a recorder, and a team lead. Azithromycin teams comprise two members, with community leaders assisting to address cases of non-compliance.

He urged parents and caregivers to present their children for vaccination to protect them against preventable diseases.

Also speaking, the District Head of Toro, Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Ahmad, stressed the importance of immunisation in protecting children’s health.

Represented by Alhaji Bashir Ibrahim, he reaffirmed the commitment of traditional institutions to the success of the exercise and appealed to parents to participate fully.