By Suzan Edeh, Bauchi
Stakeholders at the forefront of the Integrated Measles-Rubella vaccination campaign in Bauchi Local Government Area of Bauchi State have lauded the massive turnout of children in the ongoing exercise saying that the collaborative efforts of the state government, partners, and communities are paying off in resolving cases of non-compliance with immunisation.
Daily Independent reports that on the 17th of October 2025, the Bauchi State government officially flagged off the Measles-Rubella Vaccination campaign aimed at protecting children from multiple vaccine-preventable diseases. The ongoing integrated vaccine covers a series of immunisations, including the Measles-Rubella vaccine for children between the ages of 9–14 years, Childhood Vaccines for children aged 0–23 months, Polio vaccine for children aged 0–59 months, and HPV vaccine for girls aged 9–18 years.
At the Fada Primary Healthcare Centre in Dan Amar Ward, Bauchi Local Government, children aged 0–59 months were seen at the immunisation area of the health facility receiving polio and other routine childhood vaccines, while children aged 9–14 years were also receiving the Measles-Rubella vaccine. The Mama2Mama group, a community-based health program supported UNICEF to improve maternal and child health, was present at the immunisation area to further strengthen the vaccination campaign.
Fatima Yahaya, a member of the Mama2Mama group, said that before the immunisation campaign, they had been sensitising members of the communities on the importance of vaccinating their children against childhood killer diseases, adding that they also encouraged pregnant women to register at a health facility for antenatal sessions and give birth in a health facility.
“We have actually recorded success in our efforts to ensure that parents immunise their children. We also sensitised pregnant women to go for antenatal care and give birth in certified health facilities. So far, our efforts have paid off, as you can see the massive turnout of children who have come to this facility to be immunised,” another member of the group, Hadiza Ibrahim, said.
In another visit to Dan Gikka Primary School in Dan Amar Ward of Bauchi Local Government, health workers were seen administering the Measles-Rubella and Polio vaccines to children.
In an interview, the Health Education Officer of Bauchi Local Government, Muhammad Rashid Aliyu, said the turnout for the immunisation exercise was impressive within the community, adding that the target population for Bauchi Local Government is over 200,000.
“We have recorded success in this immunisation campaign in the communities so far, although there are a few non-compliance issues, but our non-compliance team is resolving those cases. I actually want to attribute the success of this immunisation campaign to effective mobilisation and teamwork between the government, partners, and communities,” he said.
A member of the Fathers for Good Health group, Alkassim Bala Adamu, said that before the immunisation campaign, they had been sensitising members of the communities, particularly fathers, on the importance of immunising their children, adding that they also educated fathers to support their pregnant wives to attend antenatal care.
He said that so far, the group has achieved success in resolving many cases of non-compliance with immunisation.
Also, a UNICEF Volunteer Committee Mobilizer in Bauchi Local Government, Yahuza Haruna, said that before the commencement of the immunisation campaign, there was effective mobilisation of community members to ensure the success of the exercise, stressing that the collaborative efforts of the state government, partners, and communities have greatly helped in resolving cases of non-compliance with immunisation.
He said that from day one of the immunisation campaign, residents of the communities have been cooperating bringing their children to the health facility to be immunised, adding that everywhere the health workers go, there has not been any rejection of the vaccines so far, and the turnout has been encouraging.