The Federal Government of Nigeria is preparing to launch a nationwide integrated campaign to scale up protection against several diseases. The initiative will raise awareness and increase immunization for measles, rubella, human papillomavirus (HPV), and polio, while also strengthening routine immunization and addressing neglected tropical diseases (NTDs).
Dr. Muyi Aina, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), explained that the campaign is organized by the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) in collaboration with the NPHCDA. It will be hosted by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, with Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, serving as the Special Guest of Honour.
The campaign aims to reach millions of children and adolescents across the country with life‑saving vaccines and to expand access to interventions for NTDs such as river blindness, lymphatic filariasis, schistosomiasis, and soil‑transmitted helminths. By integrating these interventions, the government seeks to reduce duplication, optimize resources, and increase coverage, especially in underserved rural and hard‑to‑reach communities.
Introducing the HPV vaccine on a national scale is viewed as a significant milestone for protecting adolescent girls against cervical cancer, a leading cause of cancer‑related deaths among Nigerian women. The effort will also reinforce Nigeria’s progress in keeping polio at bay—after being certified wild‑polio‑free in 2020—and support measles and rubella elimination goals.
Dr. Aina emphasized that all vaccines administered are safe, effective, and free, urging parents and caregivers to have their children immunized at designated centers nationwide. The exercise underscores the importance of routine immunization, one of the most cost‑effective public health interventions globally.
Nigeria continues to face challenges such as low immunization uptake in some regions, vaccine misinformation, and barriers to access. The integrated campaign presents a major opportunity to close these gaps, protect vulnerable populations, and strengthen confidence in the health system. Its launch reaffirms the government’s commitment to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and reducing preventable illnesses that burden Nigerian families and the health system.
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