FG Launches Africa\u2019s Largest Integrated Health Campaign, Targets 100 Million Nigerian Children for Life-Saving Vaccinations<\/p>\n
In a historic public health milestone, the Federal Government of Nigeria has launched Africa\u2019s largest integrated health campaign, targeting over 100 million children with life-saving vaccines and treatments.<\/p>\n
The ambitious nationwide initiative, flagged off by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu in Abuja, on Monday October 6, combines multiple disease interventions, measles, rubella, polio, human papillomavirus (HPV), malaria, routine immunizations, and treatments for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), into one harmonized campaign aimed at reaching every Nigerian child.<\/p>\n
The campaign is being coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu\u2019s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places health at the centre of the nation’s human capital development and national renewal drive.<\/p>\n
The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who officially declared the campaign open, reaffirmed her personal commitment to championing women and children\u2019s health.<\/p>\n
According to a statement by Alaba Balogun, Health Ministry’s Head of Information and Public Relations, she called on Nigerians to rally behind the effort, emphasizing that collective participation is key to achieving universal coverage.<\/p>\n
The First Lady described the flag-off as \u201ca declaration of our collective resolve as a nation to say \u2018No More\u2019 to the diseases that rob our sons and daughters of their future.\u201d<\/p>\n
She noted that measles and rubella remain among the leading causes of blindness, disability, and child mortality, adding that rubella infections during pregnancy can result in blindness, deafness, or congenital heart defects in unborn children.<\/p>\n
According to her, the initiative aligns with the present administration’s goal, which prioritizes giving every Nigerian child a healthy start in life and ensuring that no mother dies while giving birth.<\/p>\n
\u201cA 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,\u201d she emphasized, urging mothers to take their children for vaccination and fathers to actively support the effort.<\/p>\n
Speaking at the national flag-off, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, described the campaign as \u201ca historic moment for Nigeria\u2019s health system,\u201d adding that it represents one of the largest coordinated public health efforts on the African continent, and possibly, anywhere in the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not just a vaccination campaign. It is about reimagining how we deliver health services to our people, ensuring that no one, no community, and no child is left behind,\u201d Pate said.<\/p>\n
The Minister emphasized that the campaign reflects President Tinubu\u2019s commitment to rebuilding trust in public institutions through healthcare delivery that reaches the most vulnerable.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe President is healing the nation, unifying our people through health, and inspiring confidence that Nigeria can deliver for its citizens,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Pate commended the First Lady for her strong advocacy for women and children\u2019s health, describing her as \u201ca mother to the nation\u201d whose personal involvement in immunization, cervical cancer prevention, and maternal health programmes continues to strengthen national health outcomes.<\/p>\n
Highlighting the Tinubu administration\u2019s achievements in the health sector, Prof. Pate disclosed that primary health care utilization in Nigeria has increased from 10 million visits per quarter in 2023 to 47 million in the second quarter of 2025, reflecting growing confidence in the system.<\/p>\n
He also stated that more than 15,000 women have benefited from the Free Emergency Obstetric Care Initiative, introduced under the Renewed Hope Agenda, while hundreds of thousands are enrolled under the Mothers and Babies Implementation (MaMi) Programme, a maternal care initiative providing comprehensive support during pregnancy and childbirth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough the President\u2019s leadership, our health system is being rebuilt from the ground up. We are expanding functional primary health centres, improving health worker motivation, and increasing insurance coverage to give families peace of mind,\u201d Pate said.<\/p>\n
Pate extended appreciation to Nigeria\u2019s traditional and religious leaders, including His Eminence, the Sultan of Sokoto, and the Ooni of Ife, for their grassroots advocacy in promoting immunization and public health over the years.<\/p>\n
He also called on state governors, commissioners for health, and local government chairpersons to take ownership of the campaign, ensuring accountability and active supervision in their respective states.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery governor must be seen leading this effort, flagging off campaigns, mobilizing communities, and ensuring that no child is missed,\u201d he charged.<\/p>\n
\u201cVaccines are safe, effective, and save lives. No parent who understands their value would deny a child the chance to be protected,\u201d Pate urged.<\/p>\n
He further cautioned Nigerians against misinformation about vaccines, stressing the importance of truth and science in safeguarding children\u2019s health.<\/p>\n
\u201cTogether, we will save lives, prevent suffering, and build a stronger, healthier Nigeria,\u201d Professor Pate added.<\/p>\n
The National Primary Healthcare Development Agency NPHCDA Executive Director, Dr. Muyi Aina, in his welcome address, said the campaign, described as \u201cthe mother of all health campaigns\u201d, was designed to close immunity gaps, interrupt disease transmission, and improve uptake of essential vaccines and treatments.<\/p>\n
He noted that the campaign will be rolled out in two phases with the first Segment commencing immediately in the 19 northern states, the Federal Capital Territory, and Oyo State while the second Stage is Scheduled for January to February 2026, covering the southern states.<\/p>\n
Dr. Aina disclosed that all 36 states and the FCT have reported measles outbreaks this year, with 10,783 cases and 76 deaths, primarily among unvaccinated children. He warned that rubella, often underreported, continues to cause serious birth defects in unborn children of infected mothers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis integrated campaign is about more than vaccines. it\u2019s about protecting futures, building resilient communities, and ensuring that every child in Nigeria has a fair chance to live and thrive,\u201d Aina stated.<\/p>\n
The campaign, supported by key development partners, including UNICEF, WHO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has been hailed as a model for integrated service delivery across Africa.<\/p>\n
As the integrated health campaign begins across the country, it signals a major step in the government\u2019s broader goal of Health for All Nigerians, a promise that transcends politics, ethnicity, or geography, but unites the nation in a shared vision of a healthier future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
FG Launches Africa\u2019s Largest Integrated Health Campaign, Targets 100 Million Nigerian Children for Life-Saving Vaccinations In a historic public health milestone, the Federal Government of Nigeria has launched Africa\u2019s largest integrated health campaign, targeting over 100 million children with life-saving vaccines and treatments. The ambitious nationwide initiative, flagged off by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":148866,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[288,356,18],"tags":[2420,2421,2422],"class_list":{"0":"post-148865","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-africa","8":"category-health","9":"category-news","10":"tag-integrated-health-campaign","11":"tag-nphcda","12":"tag-senator-oluremi-tinubu"},"yoast_head":"\n