The Plateau State Government, in collaboration with the World Health Organization, WHO, United Nations Children’s Education Fund, UNICEF, and the Malaria Consortium, has launched a coordinated health campaign to commemorate the 2025 World Malaria Day, Africa Vaccination Week, and the National Immunization Plus Days.
The official flag-off ceremony, held in Jos, the state capital, is part of ongoing efforts under the IMPACT Project Immunization Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services.
Welcome Address
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Ba’amlong, described the event as a major milestone that reflects the commitment to a more integrated health approach across Plateau State.
“This is a milestone that reflects our collective commitment to building a healthier, more resilient, and more inclusive society for our dear state. We are embracing a new way of thinking through collaboration, coordination, and coherence at the heart of our development efforts.
It marks a bold shift from fragmented efforts to unified action, recognizing that health outcomes are not driven by a single intervention or institution but by the strength of collaboration across all sectors. This also aligns with our policies: harmonizing our planning and pooling our resources, so that when a mother walks into a hospital, she can receive not just antenatal care or delivery services, but also access nutrition services, health education, immunization, and vaccinations for both herself and her child all under one roof,” he said.
Official Launching
The First Lady of Plateau State, Mrs. Helen Mutfwang, official launching described the initiative as a major step toward achieving better health outcomes through the Sector-Wide Approach, SWAP, which promotes one plan, one budget, one report, one conversation, and one voice.
“As we are aware, the goal of Vaccination Week is to strengthen immunization programs and raise awareness on the importance of vaccines against vaccine-preventable diseases. World Malaria Day is commemorated nationwide on April 25 every year. This year’s theme, ‘Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,’ is a wake-up call for all of us. It emphasizes renewed commitment, investment, and innovation in the fight against malaria.
I urge residents to actively participate in malaria prevention efforts by using treated mosquito nets, maintaining environmental cleanliness, and seeking early treatment,” she added.
Mrs. Mutfwang also flagged off the 2025 National Immunization Plus Days, scheduled for April 26–29, during which health workers will conduct house-to-house vaccinations for children aged 0–5 years. She noted that the Africa Vaccination Week, which began on April 24, targets hard-to-reach communities in five local government areas, including Jos East, Bassa, and Langtang South.
Also speaking, the Program Manager of the State Malaria Elimination Program, Nurse Kizito Ndak, expressed appreciation to the First Lady for flagging off all three campaigns together, highlighting that it was done to save costs and ensure better coordination.
“We decided to flag off all projects at once to save cost and time.
I urge residents to sleep under treated mosquito nets and get the polio vaccines and other available vaccines, as they are safe and accessible across all 17 local government areas of the state.
Malaria remains the leading cause of death among children under five but is treatable if detected early,” he said.
Goodwill Message,
Dr. Lucienne Dempouo, WHO/Polio Representative, praised Plateau State’s progress in immunization and malaria control and encouraged a continued inclusive approach to healthcare delivery to ensure that no child is left behind.
Dr. Patrick Akor, representing UNICEF, reported the vaccination of 36,970 children and the procurement of over 1.4 million vaccine doses for Plateau State.
He called for stronger government investment, improved security support, and greater parental commitment to child immunization, especially in remote communities.
Officials encouraged all residents to participate fully in the campaign activities, which will include free vaccinations and malaria prevention outreach across various communities in the state.
Shakirat Sadiq
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