In Abaa Modakeke, a remote nomadic settlement in Osun State, families have long lived beyond the reach of basic health services, leaving children vulnerable to measles and rubella. Many parents avoided nearby health facilities due to fear of rejection or uncertainty about available services, resulting in children missing routine immunizations. During the 2025–2026 Measles-Rubella (MR) integrated campaign, the Osun State Primary Health Care Board, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, WHO, AFENET, and community leaders brought vaccines directly to the settlement, traveling by road and on foot to ensure no child was left behind.
Health workers engaged families in conversation, building trust and explaining the importance of immunization. By the end of the outreach on February 4, 2026, all 22 children aged 9 months to 14 years in the community, including two zero-dose toddlers, received the MR vaccine. The campaign is part of Nigeria’s broader efforts under the Primary Health Care revitalization agenda, the National Measles-Rubella Elimination Strategy, and Immunization Agenda 2030, aiming to reduce zero-dose children and prevent outbreaks.
Across Osun State, 30 WHO facilitators and 352 field volunteers are supporting the MR campaign in 30 local government areas and 332 wards, focusing on micro-planning, supervision, and ensuring vaccines reach remote and mobile populations. The initiative not only provides essential vaccines but also restores trust in health systems, demonstrating that even the most isolated communities can be reached and protected from vaccine-preventable diseases. Families are encouraged to continue engaging with local health workers, visit primary health care facilities for routine immunization, and support efforts to reach every zero-dose child.
