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Our recent meeting in Zamfara State brought together primary health care (PHC) coordinators, state officials, and partners to discuss and devise means of ensuring every child receives life-saving vaccines. The meeting, supported by the All Babies program, focused on identifying challenges, reviewing performance, and mapping out concrete steps to improve routine immunization services across the state.

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A Platform for Honest Reflection

According to Atiku Adamu, Head of Routine Immunization at the Zamfara State Primary Health Care Agency, the meeting served as a space for open and productive dialogue:

“This meeting engaged PHC coordinators from all seven supported LGAs. Together, we identified strengths, weaknesses, and developed a mitigation plan to address the gaps.”

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He said by reviewing data and sharing feedback, coordinators were left with clearer strategies to improve services in their respective local government areas.

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Active Participation and Renewed Commitment

One of the most notable outcomes of the meeting was the active participation of the PHC coordinators present. As gatekeepers of health services in their LGAs, they pledged to return home and engage all program officers, discuss data more extensively, and address identified weaknesses.

“Without this engagement, we wouldn’t have had the open doors to identify problems at the LGA level,” Adamu explained. “Now, we have action points and follow-up plans from the state down to the facilities.”

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Program Impact in Zamfara

The All Babies Are Equal program continues to transform immunization uptake in Zamfara and beyond. According to Adamu, before its introduction, vaccine hesitancy was widespread, with many communities rejecting routine immunization. But today, the story is different.

“With New Incentives onboard, settlements that previously refused vaccines are now accepting them,” said Adamu. “Teams that once feared rejection can now access those communities and provide services. We have seen real improvements compared to our baseline data.”

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From the start of the program in Zamfara to Q2 2025, the All Babies program has enrolled 325,000 infants and disbursed over ₦1.5 billion to caregivers, encouraging the uptake of 4.3 million vaccines across our LGAs of operation. Between January and June 2025 alone, the program supported and participated in 293 awareness activities with clinic staff and community leaders to promote childhood immunization.

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The program’s transport support for caregivers is helping break down barriers of distance and cost, encouraging families to bring their children for immunization.

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Tackling Misconceptions and Building Trust‍

Despite progress, challenges remain. Misconceptions about vaccines and limited community engagement can still hinder uptake. To address this, participants at the meeting emphasized the need to involve traditional leaders, village committees, and husbands in sensitization efforts. As Adamu noted:

“If parents truly understand what vaccines prevent, the age groups they target, and the importance of returning for each dose, they will accept immunization fully. But this requires continuous awareness and collaboration with fathers, leaders, and religious scholars.”

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The Zamfara meeting ended with a strong call for continued partnership and accountability. Coordinators committed to mentoring service providers, reducing waiting times at facilities, and intensifying demand generation at the community level.

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After the meeting, Adamu continued to exhort parents and caregivers to complete their babies’ immunization schedule, explaining that this is one of the most important decisions a parent can make to protect their child’s health. Immunization saves lives and prevents diseases that once claimed many children.

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At All Babies, we remain committed to supporting government and community leaders in Zamfara and across northern Nigeria to strengthen immunization systems and ensure every child is protected.