Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The Katsina State Primary Health Care Agency (KSPHCA), with the support of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has intensified community engagement efforts to address cases of Non-Compliance (NC) and Child Absent (CA) in a renewed push to improve routine immunisation coverage across the state.
The initiative follows the implementation of the Majalisa Rigakafi programme in the eight zero-dose implementing local government areas, where communities were mobilised to identify and vaccinate children who had never received routine vaccines.
This was revealed at a one-day orientation for the Majalisa Rigakafi members and local governments health educators on polio non-compliance, non-compliance resolution skills and data tools held at Classique Event Centre on Tuesday in Katsina.
Addressing the participants, the state Health Educator, Dr Mukhtar Mahmud, said the orientation aimed at sustaining the gains recorded under the programme by strengthening follow-up activities to ensure that children who missed vaccinations are reached in the next phase of the exercise.
He said: “The specific objectives of this event is to orient and equip Majalisa Rigakafi members and local governments health educators with the knowledge, skills, tools and clear roles required to effectively support non-compliance resolution.
“It will also enhance them with the knowledge to identify, referral, follow-up and vaccination of zero-dose and missed children, while strengthening community engagement, monitoring, data quality and reporting of Majalisa Rigakafi activities.”
He said the initiative was launched in December 2024 by the First Lady of the state, Hajiya Zulaihat Dikko Radda, to address low routine immunization coverage and the high burden of zero-dose children in eight priority local governments of Batagarawa, Baure, Funtua, Kankara, Katsina, Mani, Rimi and Safana.
He explained that the Majalisa Rigakafi, a community engagement programme supported by UNICEF and implemented in the eight local governments, had improved routine immunisation coverage and reduced the number of zero-dose children.
He stated that members of the Majalisa Rigakafi initiative had conducted outreach activities in 213 settlements, sensitised 7,829 caregivers and community members on the importance of routine immunisation and child health between August and October 2025.
He stressed that the programme had established a community-based immunisation defaulter tracking system that identified 2,969 children who had missed scheduled vaccinations within the period under review.
“Of these, 2,698 were referred to health facilities for immunisation, while 2,069 successfully received their missed vaccine doses,” the health educator said.
He further disclosed that the initiative has strengthened male involvement in child healthcare, enhanced community ownership of immunisation programmes in the state, and improved collaboration between community leaders and healthcare workers.
Mahmud noted that the sustained community engagement strategy is expected to further strengthen public confidence in vaccination, improve caregivers’ participation in routine immunisation, and ensure that every eligible child receives life-saving vaccines.
He reaffirmed KSPHCA’s commitment to working assiduously with UNICEF and other partners to eliminate zero-dose children in the state through continuous community mobilisation and improved tracking of unvaccinated children in the state.