The Nigerian government is set to flag off a nationwide integrated campaign to scale up protection against certain diseases and strengthen routine immunisation nationwide.
The campaign targets Measles, Rubella, Human papillomavirus (HPV), and polio while strengthening routine immunisation and tackling Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs).
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Muyi Aina, the executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that the campaign would begin on 6 October.
Mr Aina said the event, which would be hosted by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, is being organised by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) through the NPHCDA.
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He said Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, would serve as the Special Guest of Honour at the ceremony.
Mr Aina said the campaign is expected to reach millions of children and adolescents nationwide with life-saving vaccines.
He said the campaign is also aimed at expanding access to interventions for NTDs such as river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, and soil-transmitted helminths.
He said integrating these interventions would reduce duplication of efforts, optimise resources, and increase coverage, particularly in underserved rural and hard-to-reach communities.
Mr Aina said the integrated approach reflects the government’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and reducing preventable illnesses that continue to place a heavy burden on Nigerian families and the health system.
He explained that introducing the HPV vaccine on a national scale is a major milestone in safeguarding adolescent girls against cervical cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among Nigerian women.
“The campaign will also strengthen Nigeria’s efforts to keep polio at bay after being certified wild polio-free in 2020, as well as boost measles and rubella elimination goals,” he said.
He emphasised that all vaccines being administered are safe, effective and free, urging parents and caregivers to ensure their children are immunised at designated centres nationwide.
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“The exercise will also serve as a reminder of the importance of routine immunisation, which remains one of the most cost-effective public health interventions worldwide,” he said.
NAN reports that Nigeria continues to face challenges such as low immunisation uptake in some regions, vaccine misinformation, and barriers to access.
The integrated campaign is a major opportunity to close gaps, protect the vulnerable, and strengthen confidence in the health system.
(NAN)
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