The National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) has announced plans to launch its 2025/2026 national Integrated Health Campaign.
This was revealed by the executive director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Muyi Aina, represented by the Director of Advocacy and Communication, Dr. Ladan Aliyu, at a media orientation in Abuja. Dr. Aliyu said that the campaign, which begins in October, will mark the introduction of the measles-rubella (MR) vaccine.
“Nigeria is embarking on an integrated health campaign and it will begin in October 2025. This integrated health campaign is going to be the mother of all campaigns, which is the largest in the history of Africa. This campaign will also signal the introduction of the measles-rubella vaccine into Nigeria’s routine immunization schedule,” he said.
"The campaign, which is starting October 6th, is in two phases, covering 20 northern states and Oyo. It will involve routine immunization for children aged 0 - 23 months, measles-rubella vaccine for children aged 9 months - 14 years, HPV vaccine for girls, and polio vaccine for children aged 0 - 59 months. After the campaign, the routine immunization will continue in all health facilities in the country."
Dr. Aliyu acknowledged the media as indispensable partners in implementing immunization interventions. While describing misinformation as one of the leading threats to vaccine campaigns, he urged the media to continue partnering with the NPHCDA in pushing out factual information.
“When we are doing new vaccine introduction campaigns like this, challenges arise due to rumours and misinformation, which the media are directly or indirectly involved in. We are not saying the media propagates rumors, but we urge you to do your best in providing accurate information on the benefits of whichever campaign we are rolling out, just as you have always done in previous years.”
On her part, the Director of Community Health Services, Dr. Nana Sanda, highlighted that health is a shared responsibility and that access to the right information is the first step toward the success of the integrated health campaign, thereby calling for stronger collaborations. She admonished the media to be a fostering medium with accurate information and sought to disseminate accurate information at all times.
“We cannot underscore the importance of campaign activities such as this. Health is everybody’s business; no sector can succeed without collaborating with stakeholders. Having the right information is the first step to taking the right steps and actions to correct any misinformation that might occur. The awareness that this activity is taking place will guarantee we reach the right targets and encourage the right participation.”
In a presentation, Dr. Frank Obi, Non-Polio SIAs Consultant for AFENET Nigeria, confirmed the safety of the new measles-rubella (MR) vaccine. He explained that the measles-rubella vaccine is being introduced to reduce the burden of measles-rubella prevalence.
“When vaccinated, the child’s immune system is already armed and ready to fight back when the virus shows up. However, some children may experience mild side effects such as fever or rash, but these side effects are rare and temporary.” The meeting, which focused on sensitizing stakeholders on the Measles-Rubella (MR) Integrated Health Campaign with its first phase stream 1 beginning 6th–13th October and 18th–27th October 2025 targeting 63 million children, had representatives from the Federal Ministry of Education, Department of Quality Assurance (DQA), Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), World Health Organization (WHO), African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Red Cross, UNICEF, amongst others.
