LAGOS, Nigeria(VOICE OF NAIJA)- Nigeria has recorded a major public health breakthrough as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases, reaching tens of millions through nationwide immunization campaigns.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, via his official X handle, disclosed that over 25 million doses of measles vaccine and 22 million yellow fever vaccinations have been administered across the country. He cited improved immunization coverage and stronger disease prevention systems.
“Under this administration, over 25 million measles doses and 22 million yellow fever vaccinations have been administered, alongside Africa’s first Mpox vaccine rollout,” Pate said.
According to the minister, routine childhood immunization has also been strengthened, with five million children receiving the pentavalent vaccine. In addition, more than 10 million Nigerians were vaccinated with the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine during the national diphtheria outbreak response.
To contain meningitis outbreaks in northern states, over one million vaccine doses were deployed from the Gavi-funded global stockpile. A significant focus of the current health strategy is malaria prevention among young children.
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Pate described the introduction of Nigeria’s first malaria vaccine as a historic step, noting the country’s heavy disease burden.
“As the country bearing the world’s highest malaria burden, accounting for approximately 39.3 percent of malaria-related deaths among children under five, deployment of the R21 Matrix-M vaccine marks a major public health milestone,” he said.
The malaria vaccine rollout began in Bayelsa and Kebbi states, with Kebbi targeting 179,542 children aged five to 15 months. Nigeria has so far received one million doses of the vaccine, including 846,200 from Gavi and 153,800 financed by the Federal Government, with plans for wider distribution.
Child and adolescent health gains have also been recorded through the Human Papillomavirus vaccination programme. Pate said more than 14 million girls aged nine to 14 years have been vaccinated since the programme launched in October 2023 across 15 states and the Federal Capital Territory, achieving over 90 percent coverage and boosting cervical cancer prevention.
“These gains are substantive,” the minister said, adding that increased funding, health workforce investment, and coordinated vaccine campaigns have strengthened public confidence. He disclosed that an additional N68 billion has been approved for vaccine financing and related needs, with funds set for release through the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
Overall, health authorities say the expanded vaccination drive reflects rising acceptance of immunization and improved access to essential services. With preventable childhood diseases firmly in focus, the government maintains that sustained investment in vaccines remains critical to reducing avoidable illness and deaths across Nigeria.
