The Plateau State Government, in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), has launched an initiative to vaccinate over 2.2 million children against measles and Rubella.
The State Technical Assistant on Measles-Rubella for WHO, Ndubuisi Ebita, disclosed this on Tuesday during a media engagement meeting on the 2025 Integrated Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign in Jos, the state capital.
According to Ebita, the exercise, slated for October 18-27, 2025, will target children aged 9 months to 14 years across all 325 wards in the 17 local government areas of the state.
He explained that the campaign is designed to close immunity gaps, noting that the combined Measles-Rubella vaccine provides stronger protection than the Measles-only vaccine.
"Measles remains a leading cause of child deaths globally, while Rubella infection during pregnancy can result in severe birth defects known as Congenital Rubella Syndrome.
"Our target is to reduce CRS, interrupt the transmission of polio, measles, and rubella infections, and strengthen routine immunization," Ebita stated.
He commended Governor Caleb Mutfwang for releasing the state counterpart funds to facilitate the vaccination, and assured that strategies had been mapped out to ensure no child in Plateau was left behind.
"We encourage every parent to make their children available for vaccination against these infections," he added.
The State Director of Primary Health Care Board, Ladan Nanyak, stressed the importance of the vaccine, warning of severe complications in unprotected children.
"If not prevented through vaccination, these diseases can cause lifelong complications such as visual impairment, hearing loss, and even heart-related conditions. Prevention is better than cure," he said.
Also speaking, the State Health Educator, Rifkatu Dung, called on the media to support sensitization efforts, noting that misinformation often undermines vaccination campaigns.
"The campaign promises to protect Plateau's children from vaccine-preventable diseases. We want everybody to key into it for a healthier Plateau," she said.