A Big Catch-Up
How community leaders in Gwadangaji ensured no child was missed during polio vaccination
As the sun rises over Gwadangaji community in Birnin Kebbi Local Government Area of Kebbi State, the polio vaccination round is drawing to a close. But for local leaders here, the work is not over.
Mop-up sessions, the final push in any vaccination campaign, are designed to reach children who were missed because of distance, mobility, or daily survival routines. In Gwadangaji, these sessions are treated as a duty, not a formality.
Early one morning, the Baraden Gwadangaji, Alhaji Ummaru Magaji, and the Galadiman Gwadangaji moved through the community, following up on missed children household by household. As traditional leaders, they see this role as part of their responsibility to protect every child in their care.
One of those children was Siddiqu, aged four, who lives with his grandfather, Muhammadu Dan Bala Mai Raqumi, a farmer whose day begins before sunrise. Each morning, Muhammadu rides his camel to the farm with his grandchildren, Mustapha, five, and Siddiqu. Their early departure meant the children were missed during previous vaccination visits.
“It’s not that I don’t want my grandchildren vaccinated,” Muhammadu explains. “We leave home very early and return late because of my farming work. For every round, I try to make sure all children are vaccinated.”
When this was brought to the attention of the traditional leaders, they acted immediately, coordinating with the vaccination team to reach the children before the family left for the farm.
“When the Galadima approached me, I felt recognised,” Muhammadu says. “It showed that my grandchildren are just as important as every other child in this community.”
For the Galadiman Gwadangaji, the decision was straightforward.
“As leaders, it is our responsibility to ensure no child is left behind,” he says. “Once we understood why these children were missed, we knew we had to act quickly.”
For Sa’adatu Muhammad, a member of the mop-up vaccination team, moments like this define the value of the work.
“Our role is to find and vaccinate children who were missed,” she says. “Knowing that no child is left out because of our efforts gives me real satisfaction.”
Through support from the Gates Foundation and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, under the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, communities like Gwadangaji are strengthening their final line of defence against polio.
Each child reached during these mop-up sessions is more than a number. They represent a life protected and a future secured, and a reminder that with committed leadership and community trust, every child can be reached.
