BOOST Project Partners Kano Tricycle Union to Tackle Zero-Dose Children, Boost Immunisation Awareness

The Better Opportunities for Optimal Services Targeted (BOOST) Immunisation Project has stepped up efforts to tackle the growing number of zero-dose and under-immunised children in Kano State by strengthening community partnerships.

As part of this effort, the project team paid an advocacy visit to the leadership of the Kano State Tricycle Association Forum (KASTAF) to seek collaboration in promoting routine immunisation across communities. The visit was conducted in partnership with the Kano State Community of Practice on Immunisation, Budget Tracking, Advocacy and Accountability (KN CoP).

Implemented by Save the Children International with funding support from GlaxoSmithKline, the BOOST project aims to improve immunisation coverage by engaging influential community groups capable of reaching families that have limited access to vaccines.

KASTAF, one of the largest male-dominated associations in Kano State, has an estimated membership of over 100,000 tricycle operators who interact daily with residents in both urban and peri-urban communities. This makes the association a strategic partner for grassroots awareness and mobilisation.

During the meeting at the KASTAF State Secretariat in Kano, the association’s State Chairman and executive members welcomed the initiative and pledged their full support for the project.

They committed to sensitising tricycle operators and passengers on the importance of routine immunisation while also encouraging families to ensure their children receive life-saving vaccines.

The association also promised to help address social barriers, including husband restrictions and other forms of non-compliance that hinder immunisation uptake.

BOOST project representatives emphasised that leveraging existing community structures remains key to improving vaccine acceptance and ensuring that no child is left without protection against preventable diseases.