title: Breaking community barriers to polio vaccination in Northern Nigeria: the impact of a grass roots mobilization campaign (Majigi).
abstract: This paper examines the impact of a community-based intervention on the trends in the uptake of polio vaccination following a community mobilization campaign for polio eradication in northern Nigeria. Uptake of polio vaccination in high-risk communities in this region has been considerably  low despite routine and supplemental vaccination activities. Large numbers of children are left unvaccinated because of community misconceptions and distrust regarding the cause of the disease and the safety of the polio vaccine. The Majigi polio campaign was initiated in 2008 as a pilot trial  in Gezawa, a local council with very low uptake of polio vaccination. The average monthly increase in the number of vaccinated children over the subsequent six months after the pilot trial was 1,047 [95% confidence interval (CI): 647-2045, P = 0·001]. An increasing  trend in uptake of polio vaccination was also evident (P = 0·001). The outcome was consistent with a decrease or no trend in the detection of children with zero doses. The average monthly decrease in the number of children with zero doses was 6·2 (95% CI: -21  to 24, P = 0·353). Overall, there was a relative increase of approximately 310% in the polio vaccination uptake and a net reduction of 29% of never vaccinated children. The findings of this pilot test show that polio vaccination uptake can be enhanced by programs like  Majigi that promote effective communication with the community.
authors.affiliation: Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Sani-Gwarzo
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Nasiru
authors.forename: Gambo G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Aliyu
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gasasira
authors.forename: Muktar H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Aliyu
authors.forename: Mahmud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zubair
authors.forename: Sunusi U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Mandawari
authors.forename: Hassana
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Waziri
authors.forename: Abdulsalami
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nasidi
authors.forename: Samer S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: El-Kamary
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011051:Poliomyelitis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D023321:Poliovirus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D023321:Poliovirus Vaccines