Oluwatobi Adu 
BENIN CITY, Nigeria – The Edo zero-dose children campaign has recorded significant progress after the Edo State Government and its health partners vaccinated thousands of previously unreached children during a targeted outreach to underserved communities.
According to a report published on Monday by the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, the intervention took place during African Vaccination Week from April 24 to 30, 2026, following data showing that many children in remote communities had never received a routine vaccine.
The report says 3,801 infants aged between zero and 11 months and 789 children aged 12 to 23 months received routine vaccines, while 297 children completed the third dose of the pentavalent vaccine.
Working through the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, the government partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Gavi, John Snow Inc. (JSI) and other development partners to identify low-coverage communities using data-driven planning.
Health workers conducted house-to-house visits, engaged caregivers, addressed concerns about vaccines and strengthened confidence in routine immunisation.
“Data helped us find the children. But listening to people helped us reach them,” says WHO Edo State Coordinator, Dr Nora Eyo.
Beyond immunisation, the outreach provides additional health services, including Vitamin A supplementation for more than 700 children, malnutrition screening and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for 239 girls.
Director of Disease Control and Immunisation at the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Efeomon Eseigbe, says mobile teams and health camps reach more than 1,000 communities across 42 of the state’s 75 wards.
He notes that more work is still required to reach underserved communities across the remaining wards.
Polio survivor Mrs Ann Obehi Ojugo urges parents to ensure their children receive routine vaccines.
“I was just a child when I fell sick. My parents did not know about immunisation. By the time help came, it was too late. I have lived with this ever since. Please, do not let another child go through this,” she says.
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Mirian Gom 
Korede Abdullah 
