The Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency (ASPHCDA) has announced an integrated Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign from Feb. 4 to 14, 2026, targeting children aged nine months to 14 years.
Executive Secretary of ASPHCDA, Mrs Chisom Uchem, said this during a two-day training for local government health educators under the Saving Lives and Livelihoods (SLL) project in Awka on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the SLL project is funded by the Mastercard Foundation and Africa CDC, and implemented in Anambra by the Nigerian Red Cross Society and consulting firm, the Sydani Group.
Represented by Dr Placid Uliagbafusi, Director of Disease Control, Uchem said Nigeria contributed significantly to global measles and rubella cases, according to data from the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency.
She noted that between 2019 and 2024, Nigeria recorded 94,305 confirmed measles cases and 719 deaths, making the disease a top killer of children under five years old.
Uchem described measles as a highly contagious virus that caused fever, cough, rash, and could lead to complications such as pneumonia, encephalitis, and death if not addressed promptly.
She emphasised that Nigeria and Anambra aimed to eliminate vaccine-preventable diseases, and stressed the importance of mass campaigns to bridge immunity gaps and reduce the frequency of deadly outbreaks.
“The second phase of the national campaign will be held in Feb. 2026, with the goal of reducing cases to five per million by 2026 and one by 2030.”
State Health Educator, Mrs Uju Onwuegbuzina, called for robust community mobilisation and urged health workers to engage parents, traditional leaders, and faith-based organisations to improve vaccine uptake.
Onwuegbuzina said the training would help health educators counter misinformation, secure local support, raise awareness, and improve acceptance ahead of the campaign rollout in early 2026.
Mr Kingsley Okoye, State Branch Secretary, Nigerian Red Cross Society, reaffirmed collaboration with ASPHCDA to improve routine immunisation, particularly under the Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative.
Okoye stated the programme would be focused on increasing vaccine uptake, reducing hesitancy, and ensuring that SLL goals were met to improve child health outcomes across Anambra communities. (NAN)
