Cross River Steps Up Fight Against Measles-Rubella
Cross River Government Intensifies Measles-Rubella Elimination Drive
THE Cross River State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating measles-rubella (MR) from the state, with vaccination efforts reaching over 70 per cent of targeted children. The announcement was made by Dr Vivien Otu, Director-General of the Cross River Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), during the ongoing MR Integrated Campaign Phase 2 in Calabar.
Mass Vaccination Across Schools, Churches, and Communities
According to Dr Otu, more than 1.48 million children have been vaccinated, representing 76 per cent coverage based on e-Tally data, while call-in reports recorded 1.28 million children vaccinated (64 per cent coverage). She highlighted that vaccination teams had surpassed planned daily settlement targets, reaching 5,720 settlements against a target of 5,122.
“The introduction of the measles-rubella vaccine is a landmark achievement for paediatric health,” Dr. Otu said. “Even a single case of congenital rubella syndrome can be devastating, particularly for children born to mothers infected during the first trimester. Our vaccination drive drastically reduces this risk and positions Cross River to become measles-rubella free.”
The campaign covers children aged zero to 14 years for MR, alongside polio vaccinations for children zero to 59 months, delivered through fixed and outreach points, as well as house-to-house teams.
Supportive Supervision and Quality Assurance
To ensure the quality and safety of the vaccination campaign, CRSPHCDA conducted 5,535 supervisory visits across all 18 local government areas (LGAs), covering 181 wards, 1,018 vaccination teams, and 906 settlements. Supervisory support included national and international agencies such as CDC, AFENET, CORE Group, CHS, GAVI, THFEL, IVAC, PFMO, SOLINA, UNICEF, and WHO, focusing on training, monitoring, and problem-solving in real time.
“Daily supervisory outcomes show high compliance, with 99 per cent of teams having the Daily Immunisation Plan (DIP) available,” Dr Otu said. “Rapid supervisory interventions allow immediate support to teams, contributing to overall campaign success.”
Evidence-Based Strategy and Community Engagement
Mr. Francis Fatoye, PHC Performance Management Lead at Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR), explained that campaign success in Calabar was driven by daily evidence-based decision-making. Teams reviewed vaccination data each day, identified gaps, and adjusted logistics, including ice packs for cold chain maintenance, before subsequent field deployment.
Mrs. Goodness Hadley, National Advocacy, Communication and Social Mobilisation Technical Support from IVAC, emphasised that grassroots engagement and continuous communication strengthened vaccine acceptance. She noted that advocacy extended to stakeholders and non-compliant communities to improve coverage.
Collaborative National Initiative
The MR campaign is part of Nigeria’s largest vaccination drive, targeting 106 million children nationwide against measles, rubella, and polio, supported by WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, Rotary, and the Gates Foundation. Preparations include training, upgraded payment systems, and improved data management to ensure efficiency and accountability.
Dr. Otu concluded, “As a state, we are determined to make vaccine-preventable diseases a thing of the past. Eliminating measles and rubella will significantly improve our health indicators and reduce the under-5 mortality rate.”
