ABEOKUTA – The Ogun State Government has assured residents of adequate funding and logistics support for the forthcoming measles–rubella vaccination campaign scheduled to commence on January 27 and end on February 5, 2026.
The Deputy Governor, Engr. (Mrs) Noimot Salako-Oyedele, who also chairs the State Task Force on Primary Health Care, gave the assurance during a meeting of the task force held at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
In her remarks, Engr. Salako-Oyedele commended the Ministry of Health, health sector stakeholders, and development partners—particularly UNICEF—for their continued support, including the provision of ambulance boats to enhance healthcare delivery in riverine communities. She praised their efforts in sustaining a resilient primary healthcare system despite existing challenges and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment, as well as Governor Dapo Abiodun’s continued support, to all primary healthcare interventions.
She acknowledged challenges highlighted in the report presented at the meeting and assured that they would be escalated to the Governor for urgent attention. The Deputy Governor also called on religious bodies, Community Development Associations, women groups, the National Orientation Agency, and the media to intensify sensitisation efforts, urging them to leverage social media platforms and influencers to effectively reach parents and young people.
According to her, the state government would do everything necessary to ensure the success of the measles–rubella campaign. “The request for funding has been made, and we are confident it will be approved promptly to enable us to meet our responsibilities in this very intensive exercise,” she said.
Earlier, in her welcome address, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, applauded development partners, religious leaders, community-based organisations, and other stakeholders for their consistent collaboration with the state government in strengthening healthcare delivery, particularly at the grassroots level.
She noted that the task force meeting provided an opportunity to review progress across the state’s primary healthcare system and align strategies ahead of the statewide immunisation exercise.
Also presenting at the meeting, the Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, delivered a detailed report on the board’s achievements and challenges in 2025. He disclosed that most local governments recorded improvements across key health indicators, although some setbacks persisted, largely due to infrastructure and logistics gaps.
Dr Ogunsola further revealed that the measles–rubella immunisation campaign would run for 10 days and target children aged nine months to 14 years, describing it as one of the widest age-range vaccination exercises ever undertaken in the state. He added that over 8,000 health workers would be deployed across schools, health facilities, and communities to ensure full coverage.
Speaking on behalf of development partners, UNICEF representative Mrs Moloku commended the Ogun State Government for its commitment to strengthening primary healthcare delivery, noting that the initiative aligns with the global goal of ending preventable diseases in Africa. She assured of UNICEF’s continued technical and financial support for the successful implementation of the vaccination campaign.
