The Ekiti State Primary Health Care Development Agency (EKSPHCDA) in partnership with Centre for Well being Integrated Nutrition Solutions (C- WINS),have solicited the support of Ekiti Monarchs in ensuring the success of Measles- Rubella vaccination coming up in January 2026 in the State.
The Ekiti State Health Educator and C- WINS technical assistant in the State, Dr. Mrs Olajumoke Oguntoye while speaking at the palace of Olojudo of Ido Ekiti, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ayorinde Ilori- Faboro who also doubles as the Chairman, Ekiti State Traditional rulers on Wednesday said the visit to the monarchs became necessary because of the major and crucial role they play in the society and also the respect they command among their subjects.
Speaking further the technical assistant to C- WINS in the State who spoke on behalf of the national director of the organization, Dr Nihinlola Mabogunje and the South West Zonal coordinator, Dr Temitope Orji said C- WINS facilitated the advocacy, sensitization and endorsement of Measles- Rubella vaccine introduction campaign in Ekiti State to ensure proper and broader awareness of the vaccine before the exercise begins in January.
She said further that the advocacy and sensitization was formerly launched in the State on 3rd May, 2025, by her Excellency, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji where all the Stakeholders in the State were informed and sensitized to create the awareness in all their MDAs and LGAs
Dr Mrs Oguntoye said further that the programme will span a period of ten days with two days mop up. She explained further that the target age for the vaccine is between 9 months to fourteen years old and these will be captured in the schools, mosques, churches and even at homes at the commencement of the programme.
She also talked on routine immunization for children 0-59 months that the caregiver should bring their children to the health facilities in the State for vaccination.
” We are here for advocacy, sensitization and also endorsement of Measles- Rubella campaign introduction in Ekiti State. We are here to create the awareness and to tell our Kabiyesi as the paramount ruler of all the traditional rulers in Ekiti State so that they will help us to pass the information to all the rulers in the State that we are introducing measles rubella vaccine in the State.
“We want the awareness to be there. We don’t want any misinformation, we don’t want any myth, we don’t want any rumour and also, we don’t want any non compliance when we want to implement this programme. We want all the eligible children between the age of nine months to fourteen years to get vaccinated by the time we will be introducing the vaccine in January.
Other States will be introducing the vaccine by October but Ekiti falls into the second face, that is why we are here to create the awareness in Ekiti State and by coming to this monarch we know we are leveraging on him so that he will help us to sensitize all the populace in the State through the traditional rulers,” she said.
In her contribution, the World Health Organization (WHO) state technical assistant in Ekiti State, Dr Eronini Ebube said WHO is supporting this campaign because Nigeria contributes significantly to the burden of Measles- Rubella globally and presently Nigeria is the second highest for measles after Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa.
Eronini said, the motive of the campaign is to reduce the incident of Measles and the prevalence of measles- rubella. She said, “We are looking at reducing the prevalence to less than five cases to one million by 2026 and less than one case per million by 2030. The incident of measles is high in Nigeria especially in the North East.”
She affirmed that what could have been responsible for the growth of the disease in the country includes, general low routine immunisation coverage in Nigeria from the statistics that is available to them. She said further that another reason is the high drop out rate. According to her, there is measles one vaccine which is taken at nine months and measles two vaccine which is taken at fifteen months.
She explained further that over ten percent of people that take measles one vaccine who are suppose to take measles two vaccine will not participate, this according to her will always aid the spread of the deadly disease.
While responding to the request of the officers from the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, the Olojudo of Ido Ekiti, His Royal Majesty, Oba Ayorinde Ilori Faboro while welcoming the officers to his palace said this is not the first time they are dealing with vaccination exercise in his community therefore, it is a continuous exercise.
Olojudo said there was a time the disease seemed to have disappeared but all of a sudden reappear again. He stated that, his niece is blind up till date because of this disease therefore, they want to have healthy children and healthy society without any form of disease.
He promised to be of immense support for the programme when it starts. “We all understand what you are doing, we will talk to our people about what you are doing, we will encourage our people to be vaccinated, we don’t want to have problems with measles and rubella. We welcome you and when the exercise begins by the grace of God we will all be alive and we will support you,” he concluded.
Earlier in the week, the organisers of the advocacy and sensitization programme visited the Ajero of Ijero Ekiti. Among other participants at the visit were, prominent chiefs from the town, UNICEF representative, officers from the State Primary Health Care Development Agency and representatives from World Health Organization among others.
