Nigeria, Partners Set For 'Big Catch-Up' in Routine Immunisation

The Nigerian government, in collaboration with the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, the World Health Organization and partners like Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, are implementing the "Big Catch-Up campaign." The campaign aims to improve immunisation coverage and reach eligible children with life-saving vaccines, write Misbahu El-Hamza and Bunmi Oyebanji Obot for Nigeria Health Watch.

Routine immunisation (RI) plays a critical role in reducing morbidity and mortality among children under five years. Vaccine-preventable diseases such as tuberculosis, measles, and pneumonia are among the leading causes of mortality in this age group in developing countries like Nigeria.

With pneumonia alone claiming the lives of over 800,000 children annually, ensuring adequate RI coverage becomes critical in preventing these deaths.

Nigeria has faced persistent challenges in achieving adequate RI coverage, which was further exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Experts attributed these challenges to a variety of factors, including ineffective supply chains, poor service delivery, inadequate human resources, low demand due to negative perceptions, religious and cultural influences, financial gaps, accountability issues, weak governance, and poor data quality.