Ondo Mobilizes Communities Ahead of 2026 Measles-Rubella Vaccination Campaign
17th, October, 2025
In a bid to strengthen public acceptance and participation in the upcoming Measles-Rubella Vaccination (MRV) Campaign scheduled for January 2026, the Ondo State Government is intensifying community mobilization efforts through a strategic partnership between the National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the State Primary Health Care Development Agency (OSPHCDA).
As part of the collaboration, officials from the OSPHCDA paid an advocacy visit to the NOA Directorate in Akure, aimed at harmonizing grassroots sensitization strategies to ensure the campaign reaches every eligible child across the 18 local government areas of the state.
Leading the OSPHCDA delegation, Dr. Oluwasore emphasized the importance of integrating Rubella vaccination with the measles campaign. She highlighted that rubella, commonly known as German measles, poses serious risks to pregnant women and unborn babies, potentially causing Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) — a condition associated with heart defects, hearing and vision loss, and developmental delays.
Dr. Oluwasore stressed that the joint campaign would not only protect children aged 0–14 years but also prevent rubella transmission to pregnant women, thereby reducing the incidence of CRS in Nigeria.
Commending NOA’s consistent role in public health outreach, Dr. Oluwasore noted that the agency’s grassroots network is vital in overcoming vaccine hesitancy and ensuring broad community engagement.
In his response, the NOA State Director, Mr. James Adekunle, reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to deploying its community mobilizers across all LGAs. He also pledged to leverage traditional institutions, religious leaders, and youth organizations to boost awareness and dispel myths surrounding vaccines using accurate, expert-backed information.
The MRV campaign is part of the Federal Government’s broader strategy to eliminate measles and rubella, enhance routine immunization coverage, and protect children from vaccine-preventable diseases nationwide.
