The Sokoto State Government is targeting over two million eligible individuals in the upcoming measles and rubella vaccination campaign scheduled for October 2025.
This was announced by the Executive Secretary of the Sokoto State Primary Health Care Development Agency (SSPHCDA), Dr. Larai Aliyu Tambuwal, during a one-day media orientation on the integrated measles and rubella campaign held in the state.
Dr. Tambuwal emphasized the importance of media collaboration in sensitizing the public and ensuring the success of the statewide immunization exercise.
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She noted that the campaign is part of national efforts to protect children and mothers from the deadly measles and rubella diseases.
“The campaign plans to vaccinate the eligible children between 9 months to 59 months against measles and rubella diseases.
“ We want to use the exercise to reduce the number of outbreaks. We want to curb the complications associated with the diseases as they can lead to death, blindness, deafness, epilepsy, brain damage, among others,” Dr Larai Tambuwal said.
She said the campaign would be used as an avenue to improve child survival rates and strengthen the primary healthcare system in the state.
“The two diseases are vaccine preventable and when the vaccines are applied to the targeted population effectively, you are improving the livelihood and the health of children and mothers that would produce a healthy population,” she said.
Dr Tambuwal added that the campaign would take place between 4th to 13th October, this year at health facilities such as primary healthcare centers, general hospitals, Usman Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital among other designated centres.
She noted that at any designated centre, a team of vaccinators would be stationed to take care of any child and eligible targeted population.
“ The exercise would also be at the temporary sites like primary and secondary schools and other designated places like residences of community leaders, near markets, motor parks, IDPs camp.
“ The team will also collaborate with community leaders as gatekeepers and custodians of the communities as well as religious leaders and other relevant stakeholders,” she added.
The campaign is being organized by the SSPHCDA in collaboration with National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Development Partners like UNICEF, WHO, CDC AFENET, SOLINA and others.