The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) through the National Programme on Immunization (NPI), in collaboration with State and Local Government, will conduct an Integrated Measles campaign in the 17 Southern States of Nigeria from October 3rd to 9th 2006.

During the exercise, 31,518,955 children between 9 months and 15 years of age are expected to be vaccinated with measles vaccine at the vaccination posts nearest to them. A total of 28 million doses of oral vaccines (OPV) and Vitamin A would also be administered to children less than five years during the campaign. The vaccines are to be administered free of charge, regardless of the previous immunization status of the children. The fixed posts would be located at the health facilities, schools, mosques, churches and other fixed sites in the community. The campaign will bring together 116,000 health workers, religious and traditional leaders, teachers, NGOs and CBOs, and other respected members of the community.

NPI, in collaboration with Partners and States and local governments, have intensified community and mass media mobilization activities targeting parents and caregivers, to ensure that every eligible child is vaccinated. Funds for logistics have been released to the LGAs to ensure effective distribution of vaccines and injection supplies. Training of health workers and micro-planning with communities are being rounded off.

Measles is still endemic in Nigeria and is a major cause of childhood illness and death, despite availability of a safe and effective vaccine. The government of Nigeria is committed to strengthening routine immunization to improve overall child health. The health of millions of children in Nigeria can be protected by booting their immunity through measles vaccination and routine immunization.

The FGN has committed more than USD$13 million to protect the health of the Nigerian child against measles. Additional funding and support for the measles campaign is being provided by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), the Measles Partnership including WHO, UNICEF, Rotary International, USAID, EU PRIME, CDC, JIDA and non-governmental organizations such as the International Red Cross. The Roll Back Malaria Unit of the Federal Ministry of Health is also collaborating with NPI to distribute Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN) to parents and caregivers in some LGAs during the campaign Already, 35 million of measles vaccine and 397,450 safety boxes have been distributed to all implementing states in the three zones in the South.

This campaign follows a similar exercise in Northern Nigeria in December 2005, in continuation of efforts to bring measles deaths to zero in the country.