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By Abdullahi Ahmed
Kwara State Government has inaugurated an integrated vaccination campaign to protect children against Measles-Rubella and Polio across the state.
The ten-day exercise, which will begin tomorrow Saturday, October 11, 2025, targets over one-point-eight million children between nine months and fourteen years for the Measles-Rubella vaccine, and children under five years for the oral polio vaccine.
The campaign is organized by the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency in collaboration with UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and other development partners.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony in Ilorin, the State First Lady, Professor Olufolake AbdulRazaq, described the initiative as a life-saving intervention for children and families.
Professor AbdulRazaq called on parents and guardians to make their children available for vaccination, noting that the introduction of the Measles-Rubella vaccine is timely, especially with the recent outbreaks of measles in parts of the country.
The First Lady stressed that closing the gap in immunization coverage would protect every child and community from preventable diseases.
The Commissioner for Health, Doctor Amina Ahmed El-Imam, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Doctor Abdullahi Taoheed, described the campaign as a major step towards building a healthier Kwara.
She urged traditional rulers, religious leaders, and other stakeholders to support the exercise by creating awareness and mobilizing their communities.
The Executive Secretary of the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Professor Nusirat Elelu, disclosed that over eight thousand, six hundred trained personnel have been deployed across the state to ensure smooth implementation of the campaign.
Professor Elelu noted that measles remains one of the most contagious and deadly diseases among children despite the availability of a safe vaccine, while rubella poses serious risks to pregnant women, including miscarriage and congenital defects.
She commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his administration’s sustained investment in the health sector, and acknowledged the Deputy Governor, Mister Kayode Alabi, who chairs the State Task Force on Immunization, for his continuous support.
The WHO Surveillance Officer, Mrs. Abdulkadir Rashidat, assured that the vaccines are safe and effective, while UNICEF’s Social and Behaviour Change Specialist, Mr Ibrahim Tsado Mohammed, appealed to the media and civil society to help dispel misinformation and reduce vaccine hesitancy.
