The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched an ambitious campaign to vaccinate at least five million children against measles and other life-threatening diseases in the South West and Edo states.
This initiative, set to begin on October 5, 2024, is part of the 2024 Integrated Supplemental Immunisation Activities, undertaken in collaboration with the governments of Ekiti, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, Ogun, and Edo states.
Aderonke Akinola-Adewole, UNICEF Social Behavioural Change Expert, emphasized the importance of immunization, stating that vaccines have proven effective in eradicating diseases like smallpox.
She urged parents to present their children for vaccination, dispelling myths and misconceptions by affirming that vaccines are safe, effective, and free.
The week-long campaign aims to boost immunity against measles, polio, yellow fever, HPV, and other diseases. UNICEF has identified 16 states, including those in the South West and Edo, for this initiative. Akinola-Adewole stressed that vaccinations are life-savers and a fundamental right of children.
The immunization activity is crucial, as Nigeria still grapples with vaccine-preventable diseases. According to UNICEF, 4.3 million children in Nigeria miss out on vaccinations annually. Globally, one in five children in Africa lack access to life-saving vaccines.
To address this, UNICEF collaborates with governments, health officials, and media practitioners. Akinola-Adewole called on the media to help sensitize the public about vaccine safety and reliability.
According to the UNICEF SBC, “When you take your child to be vaccinated, you are fulfilling the right of the child to survive and that is the responsibility that every parent and stakeholders must do in ensuring that children survive and thrive.
“We are not just targeting the measles campaign now, we are using the campaign to strengthen routine immunisation where children under the age of two can go to the facilities to get immunized for vaccines that they missed.
“While the measles vaccination is for children from nine months to 59 months, the routine immunisation is for children from 0 – 23 months to give every child the chance to be healthy and thrive. It will go on for a week, I know that most states will always do a two-day mop-up to ensure that no child is missed.
“The mop-up is essential to capture children who were not captured during the campaign. All facilities remain open across the states to be able to give children the required vaccines that they have.
“From the figures that have been rolled out, you can see that we are looking at almost five million children from the Southwest and Edo states. We are looking at a huge number, which is why we require the support of every stakeholder in ensuring that these vaccines get to the right children.
By targeting five million children, this campaign strives to protect vulnerable populations from preventable diseases, aligning with UNICEF’s mission to ensure every child’s right to health and well-being.
