Tuesday, October 7, 2025 - The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on Monday launched the Measles-Rubella Vaccine Introduction Integrated Campaign.
At the national flag-off ceremony held at the State House
Conference Centre, Abuja, the First Lady said the campaign is expected to reach
approximately 106 million children aged nine months to under 15 years in two
phases.
She described the integrated campaign as the largest
health initiative in Africa’s history aimed at immunizing millions of children
and adolescents against measles, rubella, and other vaccine-preventable
diseases.
She noted that, “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.
“These diseases steal the future of our sons and
daughters. This flag-off signals a collective national resolve to end the
devastation caused by measles and rubella.”
The First Lady highlighted the profound consequences
of the twin diseases, not only on families but on communities and the nation
itself.
She urged Nigerians to embrace the vaccine
wholeheartedly, stressing that “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.
“Mothers, take your children to be vaccinated.
Fathers, support your wives and families to ensure your children are protected.
“To our revered traditional rulers and religious
leaders, your voices carry immense weight, use your influence to spread the
truth, dispel rumors, and ensure no child is left behind,” she added.
The First Lady thanked traditional and religious
leaders for their pivotal roles in the successful rollout of the HPV vaccine.
“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,” she
stated.
The First Lady then flagged off the campaign, setting
into motion a nationwide drive expected to reach approximately 106 million
children aged 9 months to under 15 years in two phases.
The campaign will also integrate vaccination efforts
against polio and the rollout of the HPV vaccine among adolescent girls,
combining resources to optimise health impact.
According to the First Lady’s Office, the campaign
targets children aged 9 months to 14 years, and aligns with international best
practices and Nigeria’s commitments under the Immunisation Agenda 2030 and
Sustainable Development Goals.
“It represents a bold national strategy to eliminate
measles and rubella, improve school attendance, and secure the nation’s
future,” the Special Assistant to the First Lady on Media, Busola Kukoyi,
explained.
Speaking at the national flag-off ceremony the
Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate,
said the effort marks a “historic moment” in Nigeria’s health system,
representing not just a vaccination drive but “a reimagination of how health
services reach every Nigerian.”
“This is not only about vaccination,” Pate said,
adding “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 said the Federal Government is on track to add
4,800 fully functional health centres by the end of 2026.
“Hundreds of thousands of pregnant women are now
enrolled in the Mothers and Babies Implementation programme and are being
supported throughout pregnancy and delivery,” he said, adding that more than
15,000 women have benefited from President Tinubu’s Free Emergency Obstetric
Care Initiative.
Pate praised the First Lady, saying her advocacy has
been instrumental in driving health campaigns across the country.
“You have personally invested your own resources, not
government funds, to reach our women and children. You have given your time,
treasure, and talent,” he said, citing her personal visits to states such as
Borno, Bauchi, and Lagos.
Pate also extended gratitude to state governors, local
government chairmen, traditional rulers, and religious leaders, who he said
have been vital to Nigeria’s health gains.
Meanwhile, Deputy Director for Immunisation and
Disease Control at the Gates Foundation Nigeria, Yusuf Yusufari, emphasised the
resilience and progress of Nigeria’s immunisation journey.
Yusufari recalled that two years ago, Nigeria introduced the
HPV vaccine into its routine immunisation programme at the same venue, led by
First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
“Nigeria became a global exemplar in protecting young
girls from cervical cancer,” he said, affirming that the campaign launched
shares that same critical goal: “No child (and woman) in Nigeria, and indeed
globally, should be left unprotected and left to die from preventable
diseases.”
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of Gavi, the
Vaccine Alliance, Senior Programme Manager for Nigeria, Tarcile Mballa,
highlighted the partnership between Gavi and Nigeria that has spanned two
decades with investments exceeding $2.6bn.
Mballa emphasised the ambitious scope of the campaign,
describing it as a convergence of “ambition and opportunity” with Nigeria
leading public health innovation on the continent.
On his part, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi,
stressed the importance of protecting children’s health as a national priority.
“We are all aware of measles, but I am very positive
many here have never heard of rubella, like me. We must continue to create
awareness throughout the country,” he stated.
Highlighting the vital role of mothers in the fight
for child health, the Ooni called on all Nigerians to prioritise the wellbeing
of children, calling them the “future of our country.”
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar III, also
emphasised that advocacy and education, rather than enforcement, will be
crucial for Nigeria’s rubella vaccine campaign to succeed.
He recalled the country’s successful polio eradication
efforts, attributing it to community persuasion rather than coercion.
“We defeated polio not by force but by convincing
people that the vaccine is safe.
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