Ogun set to begin zero-dose vaccination campaign

The Ogun State Government, in partnership with UNICEF and the Republic of Korea, has concluded plans to commence a statewide zero-dose vaccination campaign targeted at unimmunised and under-immunised children across selected communities.

The initiative, supported under the ROK-UNICEF immunisation strengthening programme, is expected to run from now till December, with a focus on improving routine immunisation coverage and strengthening primary healthcare delivery structures in the state.

Speaking during the orientation meeting on zero-dose reduction and immunisation strengthening activities at Oke-Mosan on Thursday, the Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Primary Healthcare Development Board, Elijah Ogunsola, said the intervention marked another strategic effort towards improving child healthcare outcomes in Ogun State.

Ogunsola appreciated development partners, particularly UNICEF, for its continued support towards strengthening immunisation activities across the state, noting that the campaign would focus on ensuring that eligible children between the ages of zero and 23 months receive life-saving vaccines.

He explained that the outreach programme would be implemented across selected local government areas and underserved communities where immunisation uptake remained low, adding that the exercise would involve coordinated efforts among health workers, development partners and community mobilisers.

The medical expert further stressed the importance of commitment from all stakeholders, expressing confidence that the programme would significantly improve the state’s immunisation coverage and reduce the number of zero-dose children if properly implemented.

On his part, a UNICEF Local Vaccine Consultant, Micheal Oyediji, commended health workers and other stakeholders for their commitment to improving immunisation coverage in the state, describing the initiative as critical to strengthening community health systems and expanding access to vaccines for vulnerable children.

He disclosed that the ROK-UNICEF project would support selected health facilities across participating wards, integrate regular outreach programmes and strengthen monitoring systems, while also prioritising HPV vaccination, improved cold chain infrastructure and community mobilisation to ensure no eligible child is left behind.

Speaking at the launch of the zero-dose initiative in Lagos, the UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, said the intervention would strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, support routine immunisation delivery and rebuild public confidence in healthcare services, particularly at the grassroots level.

Lafoucriere added that reaching zero-dose children remained a national development priority, noting that healthy children were essential to human capital development, productivity and social stability. She added that the long-term sustainability of the intervention would be the ultimate measure of its success.

In his remarks, the Consul General of the Republic of Korea, Lee Sang Ho, said Nigeria’s high number of unvaccinated children poses a serious threat to global health security, thereby justifying Korea’s investment in the initiative under the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator framework.

Lee described immunisation as a critical component of national development and urged mothers, community leaders and healthcare workers to fully support the campaign, stressing that no child should be denied protection against preventable diseases because of distance, ignorance or socio-cultural barriers.