UNICEF in Sokoto state Wednesday cautioned residents against linking their residential toilets with sewage as it causes environmental hazard to public health.
Speaking during the one-day mass mobilisation dialogue with journalists and social media influencers, organised by UNICEF, aimed to seek media handlers’ support to eradicate polio, Alhajj Bashar Garba Illela, a personnel from the Sokoto state Primary Health Development Agency said the actions risks outbreak of diseases.
Garba also called on parents and stakeholders in Sokoto state to take immediate action towards eliminating the remnants of the polio virus in the state.
Blueprint gathered that the dialogue was aimed to mobilise working journalists’ support for the upcoming polio immunisation exercise slated to kick off from 16th-April to 19th April, 2026.
The dialogue was focused on community mobilisation, creating awareness on the importance of polio vaccination and reshaping people’s minds on misconceptions about polio.
Speaking earlier, the UNICEF representative in Sokoto office said it targeted over 1.5 eligible children and recruited over 19,000 adhoc staff to be redeployed for the 11,200 settlements.
Giving account of the previous exercise conducted during Ramadan period, he said the exercise recorded over 77% coverage and many reported non compliance cases have been resolved by using the traditional, religious leaders and other influential personalities
He also said the routine vaccine targets other diseases aside from polio and charged the media to consistently promote campaigns against polio.