Authorities in Kwara State have called on local government leaders to take ownership of a vaccination campaign against measles and rubella, diseases that continue to threaten children across Africa despite the availability of safe and effective vaccines.
Speaking at an engagement meeting with the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Ilorin, Professor Nusirat Elelu, head of the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, warned that measles remains one of the most contagious childhood illnesses globally, with potentially fatal consequences.
The vaccination drive, organised in collaboration with UNICEF, is due to begin in October and will target eligible children across all local government areas. Elelu said community-level leadership would be crucial to its success, urging ALGON members to lead sensitisation efforts and mobilise traditional and religious leaders.
“We can only achieve the desired results through collective effort,” she said, stressing that local councils must complement state investments in health.
She noted that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration had strengthened healthcare by renovating facilities and recruiting more than 1,000 new workers.
Dr Michael Oguntoye, Director of Primary Health Care Systems, echoed the call, describing local governments as indispensable to effective grassroots health delivery.
Responding, ALGON Chairman Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi pledged the full support of council leaders to ensure every eligible child receives the vaccine.
Health experts say campaigns like Kwara’s are critical to Nigeria’s efforts to eliminate measles and rubella, diseases that continue to cause outbreaks in under-vaccinated communities.
