The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Monday, officially launched the Measles-Rubella Vaccine Introduction Integrated Campaign, described as the largest health initiative in Africa’s history.
Speaking at the national flag-off ceremony held at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, Tinubu said the nationwide exercise aims to reach about 106 million children aged nine months to under 15 years in two phases.
She explained that the campaign seeks to protect millions of children and adolescents from measles, rubella, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, describing the initiative as “a collective national resolve to end the devastation caused by measles and rubella.”
Highlighting the severe impact of both diseases, the First Lady said, “Measles can cause blindness, permanent disability, and in too many cases, death. Its twin disease, rubella, though often silent, is equally harmful, especially to unborn children of infected pregnant women who may be born with blindness, deafness, or serious heart defects.”
She emphasised that both diseases rob children of their futures, urging parents and caregivers to ensure their wards are vaccinated.
A vaccine in a vial does not save a child, she cautioned. “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.”
Tinubu appealed to parents, traditional rulers, and religious leaders to support the campaign.
“Mothers, take your children to be vaccinated. Fathers, support your wives and families. To our revered traditional and religious leaders, use your influence to spread the truth, dispel rumors, and ensure no child is left behind,” she said.
The First Lady expressed appreciation to traditional and religious leaders for their contributions to the successful rollout of the HPV vaccine, reiterating that “These vaccines are safe, effective, and free. They are among the greatest gifts of modern medicine, saving lives, preventing disease, and allowing our children the chance to grow, learn, and thrive.”
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The campaign, launched under her leadership, will also integrate vaccination against polio and continue the rollout of the HPV vaccine for adolescent girls, combining efforts to maximise health outcomes.
According to the Office of the First Lady, the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s commitments under the Immunisation Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to eliminate measles and rubella, enhance school attendance, and safeguard the country’s future.
“It represents a bold national strategy to eliminate measles and rubella,” the Special Assistant to the First Lady on Media, Busola Kukoyi, explained.
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, described the initiative as a “historic moment” for Nigeria’s health system, saying it goes beyond immunisation to redefining how health services are delivered.
“This is not only about vaccination,” he noted. “It is about reimagining how we deliver health services to our people, getting as close to them as we can, and ensuring that no one is left behind.”
Pate revealed that the Federal Government plans to establish 4,800 fully functional health centres by the end of 2026, adding that hundreds of thousands of pregnant women have enrolled in the Mothers and Babies Implementation Programme. He also disclosed that over 15,000 women have benefited from President Tinubu’s Free Emergency Obstetric Care Initiative.
Commending Mrs. Tinubu’s advocacy, the minister said, “You have personally invested your own resources, not government funds, to reach our women and children. You have given your time, treasure, and talent,” noting her personal outreach efforts in states such as Borno, Bauchi, and Lagos.
