The Centre for Well-being and Integrated Nutrition Solutions (C-WINS) has called on state governments across Nigeria to urgently provide counterpart funding for the upcoming measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign.
The Federal Government has already approved a budgetary line for vaccine procurement in the 2025 national health budget. But C-WINS insists that “the success of the campaign depends on financial support and mobilisation at the state level.”
C-WINS says early planning and funding are necessary to meet the national target of 95% vaccine coverage. Nigeria’s current measles coverage hovers between 50% and 60%, with wide gaps in the North-West and rural areas.
Dr Mahmud Zubairu, Founder of C-WINS, warned that rubella is often misdiagnosed as measles. “One in ten measles cases in Nigeria is actually rubella,” he said. Rubella, though mild in children, can cause miscarriage or birth defects when contracted by pregnant women.
The MR vaccine rollout is scheduled to begin in October 2025 in some states, while others like Ekiti will start in January 2026. The campaign will target children aged 9 months to 14 years.
Grassroots Advocacy and Public Awareness
C-WINS has partnered with the Nigeria Governors’ Spouses Forum (NGSF) and several civil society organisations to lead advocacy efforts. First Ladies in Oyo, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, and Kwara have launched awareness drives in schools, markets, churches, and mosques.
The group has also approached the Federal Ministry of Information to help launch a national campaign against vaccine misinformation. Minister Mohammed Idris pledged full support, saying “Prevention is better than cure, and this is one area where information truly saves lives.”
C-WINS warns that delays in funding could derail the campaign. “Without adequate and timely government funding, Nigeria risks missing this opportunity to protect its children and families from irreversible harm,” Dr Zubairu said.
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