Mothers, Stakeholders, Civil Societies, Religious and Traditional rulers in Ogun State have been charged to support in propagating the importance of measles and rubella vaccine in the State.
Wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun gave the charge at the sensitisation programme organised by Ajose Foundation in partnership with Centre for Well-being and Integrated Solutions (CWINS) for Local Government Chairmen’s wives and stakeholders across the State at June 12 Cultural Centre on Measles and Rubella Vaccine scheduled to be rolled out nationwide in October this year.
Mrs. Abiodun charged them to take the campaign to the grassroots, saying the programme was part of efforts to safeguard the health and future of Nigerian Children.
“According to WHO, measles remains one of the leading causes of death among under-five children in Nigeria. In 2023 alone, the world witnessed over 10 million cases and a staggering 136,000 deaths. In our own country, measles outbreaks were recorded in 37 Local Government Areas across 13 States.
“Families continue to bear emotional, financial, and health-related burdens as a result of this preventable disease. It is hard to imagine that more than 60 years after the measles vaccine was first introduced, we are still experiencing outbreaks in our country,” she said.
The First Lady revealed that ,even more concerning was the silent threat of rubella, a disease often masked by measles but with devastating consequences, noting that it could lead to congenital rubella syndrome, which causes lifelong disabilities such as blindness, deafness, heart defects, and neurological challenges.
She added that the introduction of the combined Measles-Rubella (M-R) vaccine presents a powerful opportunity to prevent 2.8 million deaths in Nigeria and significantly reduce the global burden of these diseases.
The Wife of the Governor disclosed that the M-R vaccine was not only a life-saving intervention, but also an investment in the future of the children by preventing the spread of deadly diseases and avoiding the costs of long term disability as well as cases of hospitalisations, noting that when the lives of children were saved, they grow up to be productive citizens.
She enjoined mothers and stakeholders in the State to make the health of the children a priority by embracing M.R vaccine and educating others about its importance, explaining that parents must have great urge to save their children from measles and rubella.
Mrs. Abiodun admonishes all to raise awareness, counter misinformation, and ensure that no child was left behind, saying that a lot of vaccine skeptics were around us and on social media, who peddle conspiracy theories and fake news to scare unsuspecting parents into hiding their children from being vaccinated.
“The ones who are doing it innocently, who may have been misinformed, we need to re-educate them. These are the same vaccines that we received as children that protected us from polio, whooping cough, yellow fever and many other deadly diseases. It has not changed”, She said In his address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Tayo Lawal highlighted education and engagement as two effective ways of sensitising the communities about the M.R Vaccine.
He said there must be accurate and accessible information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine through organising workshops, distribution of pamphlets and utilising social media platforms to reach a wider audience.
Dr. Lawal, opined that families should be engaged directly through hosting question and answer sessions with healthcare professionals to help address concerns and dispel myths, adding that personal stories from those who have experienced the consequences of these diseases could also be powerful motivators of vaccination.
Speaking, representative of CWINS, Mrs. Temitope Orji, in her message, called for the partnership with mother to record success in the vaccination programme.
While commending the Ogun State government for continually blazing the trail in policies and agenda towards protecting the present and next generations, she pledged continuous support for the State.
