Benin City, Mrs Ann Obehi Ojugo moved slowly to the front of the room. She paused before speaking.
“I was just a child when I fell sick,” she said. “My parents did not know about immunization. By the time help came, it was too late. I have lived with this ever since. Please, do not let another child go through this.”
Her message was simple: vaccines can prevent conditions like this.
Her story reflects a gap that still exists in parts of Edo State. Some children have never received a single vaccine. They are known as zero-dose children.
Finding Children Who Were Missed
In the months leading up to African Vaccination Week, health officials reviewed immunization data in Edo State. The findings underscored the scale of the challenge. In some communities, up to 76% of children had not received any routine vaccines (DHIS2, 2026).
In Orhionmwon, only one in four children had completed the pentavalent vaccine series, which protects against five life-threatening diseases. Across several local government areas, more than half of eligible children had not received even their first dose.
These gaps highlighted the urgent need to identify and reach children who had been left behind by routine immunization services. Some families live far from health centres, while others do not have enough information about vaccines. In riverine and hard-to-reach areas, services do not always reach every household.
Bringing Services Closer to Families
To close this gap, the Edo State Government, through the State Primary Health Care Development Agency, led targeted efforts to reach missed children and strengthen routine immunization services.
With support from the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, Gavi, John Snow, Inc. (JSI), and other partners, teams used data to identify communities with low coverage. WHO provided technical support in data analysis, microplanning, training of frontline health workers, and strengthening surveillance systems for immunization performance.
Health workers visited homes, engaged caregivers, and addressed concerns about immunization.
“Data helped us find the children,” said Dr Nora Eyo, WHO State Coordinator for Edo State. “But listening to people helped us reach them.”
A Mother’s Decision
In a riverine community, Mrs Honour Madumere had delayed vaccinating her child.
“The health centre is far,” she said. “And I did not fully understand why there were so many vaccines.”
During outreach visits, health workers explained the immunization schedule and answered her questions.
“Now I understand,” she said. “I feel at peace knowing my child is protected.”
Her one-year-old child received routine vaccines that day.
Health workers encountered similar situations across communities.
“We met children who had never received a single dose,” said Mary Efosa, a vaccinator. “It shows there is still work to do. But it also shows this approach works.”
What Changed
During African Vaccination Week, from 24 to 30 April 2026, outreach services reached underserved communities, vaccinating 3,801 infants aged 0–11 months and 789 children aged 12–23 months. An additional 297 children completed the third dose of the pentavalent vaccine.
Integrated services included vitamin A supplementation for more than 700 children, malnutrition screening, and HPV vaccination for 239 girls. No serious adverse events were reported.
These efforts helped improve access to routine immunization in underserved areas and increased confidence in vaccines among caregivers.
Reaching Communities with the Greatest Need
The Director of Disease Control and Immunization at the Edo State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Efeomon Eseigbe, said the outreach made a difference.
“More children now have access to life-saving vaccines,” he said. “We were able to reach communities that had been left behind.”
According to national data, more than 1,000 communities were reached across 42 of the state’s 75 wards through mobile teams and health camps.
The results reflect joint efforts. Government leadership, frontline health workers, communities, and partners all played a role.
Why This Matters
When children miss vaccines, they remain at risk of diseases such as measles, diphtheria, and polio. Although Nigeria has made significant progress, gaps remain. National estimates show that 33% of children do not complete routine immunization.
Closing these gaps strengthens primary health care systems, reduces the costs of future outbreaks, and delivers a high return on investment by preventing avoidable disease and disability.
Reaching zero-dose children is a priority under Nigeria’s health strategy and the global Immunization Agenda 2030. The goal is simple: every child, everywhere, should benefit from vaccines.
The Work Continues
While significant progress has been made in Edo State, the work is not finished. Thirty-three wards remain unreached, and follow-up efforts are underway to ensure children complete all recommended doses.
New outreach sessions are planned across all wards in the state, targeting more than 4,347 settlements.
Sustained investment, community engagement, and coordinated action will be essential to expand coverage and ensure that no child is left behind.
Closing
For Mrs Ojugo, the message remains urgent.
“Every child deserves that chance,” she said.
