UNICEF and Bauchi Government launch joint vaccination drive targeting zero-dose children through Fathers-4-Good Health and Mama-2-Mama groups

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Bauchi State Government, has deployed community mobilisation groups — Fathers-4-Good Health and Mama-2-Mama — to locate and vaccinate children who have never received any immunisation doses in remote and urban communities across the state.

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The initiative forms part of Nigeria’s ten-day national Measles-Rubella campaign, which integrates several life-saving vaccinations, including those for polio, HPV, malaria, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).

The exercise is ongoing across primary healthcare facilities and outreach posts in Bauchi.

During the campaign’s rollout in Azare, Katagum Local Government Area, large numbers of parents were seen bringing their children to vaccination centres.

One of the Fathers-4-Good Health volunteers, Auwalu Mohammad, said that recent outbreaks of measles in the area had increased awareness and acceptance of the vaccines.

“Many parents are afraid of measles and other dangerous diseases that have affected their children, so they are eager to vaccinate them,” he said.

A Polio Social Behaviour Change Manager for outbreak countries at UNICEF Headquarters, Panchanan Achari, praised the dedication of the local mobilisation teams.

“I’m really impressed by the community structures — Fathers-4-Good Health, Mama-2-Mama and others. They are doing a fantastic job here,” Achari said, noting that the goal is to vaccinate over 106 million children nationwide.

He explained that the vaccination campaign is set for ten days, with an additional two-day mop-up period to ensure no child is left out.

“If we can vaccinate everyone within ten days, that’s fine. If not, we’ll have two more days to cover the remaining children,” he added.

Earlier, speaking during the official flag-off ceremony, Achari noted that Bauchi State had recorded cases of circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVPV2) in 2024 across five local government areas, underscoring the urgency of the campaign.

He said measles vaccination coverage remained low, leaving thousands of children vulnerable, and stressed that integrating Measles-Rubella and polio vaccines provided a critical opportunity to reach unvaccinated children, strengthen trust in immunisation, and combat misinformation.

Achari outlined three strategic priorities for the campaign:

Reaching every eligible child, including those in hard-to-access and insecure communities.

Mobilising trusted community groups to raise awareness and engage caregivers.

Improving accountability through data-driven monitoring.

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The UNICEF-Bauchi partnership, he said, demonstrates how community-based engagement and inclusive healthcare delivery can accelerate Nigeria’s progress toward universal immunisation coverage.