Ogun Govt Assures Adequate Funding, Logistics Support for Measles–Rubella Campaign

The Ogun State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to providing adequate funding and logistics support for the forthcoming measles–rubella vaccination campaign, scheduled to run from January 27 to February 5, 2026.

The Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, who also chairs the State Task Force on Primary Healthcare, gave the assurance during a meeting of the task force held at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

She said the administration was determined to strengthen healthcare service delivery and ensure the success of the statewide immunisation exercise. Commending the Ministry of Health, health sector stakeholders and development partners – particularly UNICEF – Salako-Oyedele praised the provision of ambulance boats to support healthcare delivery in riverine communities and efforts to sustain a resilient primary healthcare system despite prevailing challenges.

The deputy governor reaffirmed Governor Dapo Abiodun’s continued support for all primary healthcare interventions and pledged that issues highlighted in the task force report would be escalated to the governor for urgent attention.

She also called on religious organisations, Community Development Associations, women groups, the National Orientation Agency and the media to intensify public sensitisation, urging them to leverage social media platforms and influencers to reach parents and young people.

According to her, the state government would not relent in ensuring the success of the measles–rubella campaign, adding that requests for funding had already been presented and would be approved promptly to facilitate the smooth conduct of the exercise.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, lauded development partners, religious leaders, community-based organisations and other stakeholders for their sustained collaboration with the state government in strengthening healthcare delivery, particularly at the grassroots.

She noted that the task force meeting provided an opportunity to review progress across the state’s primary healthcare system and align strategies ahead of the statewide immunisation campaign.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of the Ogun State Primary Health Care Board, Dr Elijah Ogunsola, presented a detailed report on the board’s achievements and challenges in 2025. He said most local governments recorded improvements in key health indicators, though some setbacks were observed, largely due to infrastructure and logistics gaps.

Ogunsola disclosed that the measles–rubella immunisation campaign would run for 10 days and target children aged nine months to 14 years, describing it as one of the widest age-range vaccination exercises ever undertaken in the state. He added that over 8,000 health workers would be deployed across schools, health facilities and communities to ensure comprehensive coverage.

Responding on behalf of development partners, UNICEF representative, Mrs Florence Moloku, commended the Ogun State Government for its efforts to strengthen primary healthcare delivery, noting that the initiative aligned with global efforts to end preventable diseases in Africa. She assured the state of UNICEF’s continued technical and financial support for the successful implementation of the measles–rubella vaccination campaign.