The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has rolled out a nationwide Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccination campaign in 12 southern states commencing February 4 to 13, 2026.
The programme is designed to cover children from the age of nine months to 14 years, as part of efforts to curb preventable childhood diseases.
The campaign was announced during a zonal virtual media briefing with on-air personalities and digital content creators, organised by the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia (BCA) in collaboration with the UNICEF Enugu Field Office.
Speaking at the briefing, the Chief of UNICEF Enugu Field Office, Mrs. Juliet Chiluwe, urged media practitioners to amplify campaign messaging and engage community gatekeepers, including religious leaders, parents and caregivers, to ensure wide coverage.
Chiluwe said routine immunisation remains one of the most effective public health interventions, adding that the MR campaign serves as both a catch-up strategy and a reminder of the importance of completing childhood immunisation schedules.
She noted that recent field visits to Benue, Ebonyi and Anambra highlighted persistent gaps in routine immunisation that the campaign aims to address.
UNICEF Communications Officer, Enugu Field Office, Dr Ijeoma Onuoha Ogwe, said the media engagement was designed to strengthen coordinated digital and broadcast messaging across the southern states.
While Bayelsa has commenced vaccination, states including Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River and Abia are scheduled to begin from February 4.
She stressed the need for consistent, accurate information to drive public trust and uptake, noting that feedback from communities would be critical to the success of the campaign.
In his welcome address, BCA Director General, Mr. Francia Nwubani, described the exercise as the second phase of the national MR campaign, following its earlier rollout in northern Nigeria.
Represented by Mr. Nkpa Okezie, he said the forum was intended to align broadcasters and digital creators with campaign objectives and messaging.
Providing a clinical perspective, Dr. Chikezie Obasi of the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital said the campaign aims to protect Nigeria’s estimated 106 million children from measles and rubella, with more than $20 million committed to the effort, describing the initiative as a large-scale public health intervention requiring strong media partnership.
Obasi warned that measles can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia, blindness, brain inflammation and death, particularly among malnourished children. He added that while rubella is often mild in children, infection during pregnancy can cause congenital rubella syndrome, resulting in lifelong disabilities such as deafness, blindness and heart defects.
He identified insecurity, difficult terrain and vaccine hesitancy driven by misinformation and faith-based concerns as key challenges, calling for targeted communication to counter myths and improve access in hard-to-reach communities.
Also speaking, Dr. Hillary Ozo of the UNICEF Enugu Field Office said public doubt and misinformation remain major barriers to immunisation, urging media professionals to prioritise evidence-based, educational content that builds confidence in vaccines and supports informed decision-making.
UNICEF and its partners said the success of the campaign depends on broad public awareness, timely reporting of symptoms such as rashes in children, and sustained collaboration between health authorities and the media to reduce transmission and improve child health outcomes across southern Nigeria.