The First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has reaffirmed her commitment to expanding vaccine coverage to protect millions of children and women nationwide from preventable diseases.
She made the remark on Monday during the flag-off of the Measles, Rubella, and HPV Vaccine Sensitisation Campaign organised under the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) in Port Harcourt.
Tinubu, represented by the Wife of the Rivers State Governor, Lady Valerie Siminalayi Fubara, said the campaign was implemented by the RHI in collaboration with the Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board, C-WINS, and international partners including WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, and the Vaccine Alliance.
She explained that the programme aims to protect children and women from vaccine-preventable diseases, targeting children aged nine months to 14 years across 23 local government areas in Rivers State.
“The local rollout is expected to commence in February 2026. Rivers is among the fourth stream of Phase One states participating in Africa’s largest-ever health initiative, which targets over 106 million Nigerian children for vaccination against measles, rubella, polio, and HPV,” she said.
The First Lady described measles and rubella as highly contagious and potentially deadly, warning that rubella could cause severe complications for unborn babies if contracted by pregnant women.
She expressed confidence that the ongoing measles and rubella vaccination campaign in Rivers would surpass all previous efforts in scale and success.
“Through technical and financial support, this partnership will ensure that by February 2026, well-trained staff are deployed across communities to vaccinate all eligible children,” she added.
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Tinubu stressed that the measles-rubella vaccine is safe, effective, and free at all health centres, urging parents and caregivers to cooperate with health workers.
Also speaking, the Deputy Governor of Rivers State, Professor Ngozi Odu, commended the Renewed Hope Initiative for its sustained impact, noting that the campaign marks a major step in promoting public health awareness among women and children.
She highlighted the HPV vaccine’s importance in safeguarding the girl-child, describing it as an investment in their health and empowerment.
The Rivers State Coordinator of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Professor Giwa Abdulganiyu, praised the collaboration between RHI and the state government, describing the effort as “a worthy step in the right direction.” He reaffirmed WHO’s commitment to supporting Nigeria in achieving universal health coverage.
Earlier, the RHI Rivers Coordinator, Mrs Tonye Briggs-Oniyide, reiterated the initiative’s goal of reducing measles and rubella cases in the state.
“These diseases have the potential to cause emergencies and great distress in families. Today’s flag-off represents our collective determination to raise awareness and prevent such tragedies,” she said.
