By Emmanuella Oghenetega
The Federal Government has launched integrated health campaign, targeting over 100 million children with life-saving vaccines and treatments.
The initiative flagged off by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu in Abuja, combines multiple disease interventions, measles, rubella, polio, human papillomavirus (HPV), malaria, routine immunizations, and treatments for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), into one harmonized campaign aimed at reaching every Nigerian child.
The campaign being coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, places health at the centre of Nigeria’s human capital development and national renewal drive.
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who officially declared the campaign open, reaffirmed her personal commitment to championing women’s and children’s health.
The First Lady described the flag-off as “a declaration of our collective resolve as a nation to say ‘No More’ to the diseases that rob our sons and daughters of their future.”
She noted that measles and rubella remain among the leading causes of blindness, disability, and child mortality, adding that rubella infections during pregnancy can result in blindness, deafness, or congenital heart defects in unborn children.
“A vaccine in a vial does not save a child. A vaccine in a clinic does not protect a community. Protection only becomes real when that vaccine is injected into the arm of a child,” she emphasized, urging mothers to take their children for vaccination and fathers to actively support the effort.
Speaking at the national flag-off, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, stated, “This is not just a vaccination campaign. It is about reimagining how we deliver health services to our people, ensuring that no one, no community, and no child is left behind,” Pate said.
The Minister emphasized that the campaign reflects President Tinubu’s commitment to rebuilding trust in public institutions through healthcare delivery that reaches the most vulnerable.
The campaign, supported by key development partners, including UNICEF, WHO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been hailed as a model for integrated service delivery across Africa.
He called on State Governors, Commissioners for health, and Local Government Chairpersons to take ownership of the campaign, ensuring accountability and active supervision in their respective states.
“Every governor must be seen leading this effort, flagging off campaigns, mobilizing communities, and ensuring that no child is missed,” he charged.
“Vaccines are safe, effective, and save lives. No parent who understands their value would deny a child the chance to be protected,” Pate urged.
He further cautioned Nigerians against misinformation about vaccines, stressing the importance of truth and science in safeguarding children’s health.
“Together, we will save lives, prevent suffering, and build a stronger, healthier Nigeria,” Professor Pate added.
The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency NPHCDA Executive Director, Dr. Muyi Aina, in his welcome address, said the campaign, described as “the mother of all health campaigns”,was designed to close immunity gaps, interrupt disease transmission, and improve uptake of essential vaccines and treatments.
He noted that the campaign will be rolled out in two phases:
Phase 1: Begins immediately in the 19 northern states, the Federal Capital Territory, and Oyo State.
Phase 2: Scheduled for January to February 2026, covering the southern states.
Dr. Aina disclosed that all 36 states and the FCT have reported measles outbreaks this year, with 10,783 cases and 76 deaths, primarily among unvaccinated children. He warned that rubella, often underreported, continues to cause serious birth defects in unborn children of infected mothers.
