Abuja: Nigeria is rolling out one of the largest integrated vaccination campaigns in its history, aiming to protect around 106 million children against measles, rubella, and poliomyelitis, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the nationwide initiative will combine multiple vaccines and child health services in a single drive, ensuring efficient delivery to children across the country. The campaign targets children 0-14 years for measles and rubella and 0-59 months for polio.
It will be implemented in two phases: phase one, launching today, covers 20 high-risk northern states and Oyo State in the southwest; phase 2 begins in January 2026, and will be expanded to the remaining southern states. To reach every community, health workers will deliver services through fixed posts, temporary outreach points, and house-to-house ‘sweep teams,’ ensuring that even children in the most remote and underserved areas are reached.
In addition to measles-rubella and polio vaccines, the campaign integrates routine immunisation and other essential child health services, including treatment for neglected tropical diseases and seasonal malaria chemoprevention in high-risk areas. This holistic approach supports Nigeria’s ‘Primary Health Care Under One Roof’ strategy and advances the Health Campaign Effectiveness agenda towards universal health coverage.
The initiative responds to persistent outbreaks of circulating variant poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) as well as measles and rubella outbreaks in Nigeria and across the Lake Chad Basin. Nigeria is coordinating with Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, and Niger through a cross-border action plan to stop active outbreaks by the end of 2025 and eliminate remaining risks by the end of 2026.
Minister of Health and Social Welfare of Nigeria, Dr Ali Pate, expressed gratitude towards Nigeria’s frontline health workers for their dedication, encouraging them to approach the campaign with resilience. He emphasized the safety and life-saving nature of vaccines, highlighting the importance of protecting children.
Dr Mohammed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, commended Nigeria’s integrated approach and its success in recent activities that reached millions of children. He stressed the importance of uniting efforts and working with communities to prevent these diseases.
In preparation for this nationwide rollout, Nigeria has strengthened systems to ensure smooth implementation. Trainers have been mobilised across states, payment processes for frontline workers have been redesigned for greater efficiency, and campaign systems have been upgraded to integrate data more effectively and safeguard integrity.
Nigeria is also introducing a new combined measles-rubella vaccine to replace the measles-only vaccine. Measles is a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease, particularly for malnourished children, while rubella can cause severe birth defects if contracted during pregnancy.
The campaign is led by the government with support from the WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Rotary International, the Gates Foundation, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, civil society organisations, traditional and religious leaders. Robust coordination mechanisms are in place for financing, social mobilisation, training, vaccines, and logistics to ensure success.