By Rotimi Odofin
Lokoja, June 25, 2026 – The Kogi State Government has officially flagged off the first round of the Integrated Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Week, Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination and Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Campaign across the state.
The flag-off ceremony, held in Lokoja on Thursday, attracted traditional rulers, religious leaders, development partners, health workers and members of various communities.
Speaking at the event, Kogi State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Abdulazeez Adams Adeiza, described the initiative as “an integrated campaign for life,” aimed at addressing maternal mortality, childhood illnesses, cervical cancer and neglected tropical diseases.
According to him, health data in the state indicates that many children still miss routine vaccinations, some pregnant women fail to access antenatal care, HPV continues to pose a threat to young girls, while NTDs remain a major cause of school absenteeism among children.
“Data without action is just numbers. That is why Kogi State, through the Kogi State Primary Health Care Development Agency (KSPHCDA) and the State Ministry of Health, with support from WHO, UNICEF, Sight Savers and other partners, is integrating these interventions into one round. One team. One visit. Multiple protections,” he said.
The commissioner explained that the campaign would provide a range of services, including Vitamin A supplementation, deworming, growth monitoring, antenatal care, iron-folate supplementation for pregnant women, nutrition counselling, HPV vaccination for girls aged nine years, and mass drug administration for schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths.
He noted that the programme is designed to promote health equity by taking services to underserved communities, including remote settlements, riverine areas, markets and schools.
Dr. Adeiza urged mothers and caregivers to take advantage of the exercise by bringing children under the age of five and pregnant women to designated health facilities and outreach centres. He emphasized that Vitamin A helps prevent blindness, while deworming improves children’s growth and learning outcomes.
Addressing parents, he assured them that the HPV vaccine is safe, effective and capable of preventing cervical cancer among girls.
Flagging off the campaign on behalf of Governor Ahmed
Usman Ododo, the commissioner said the administration remains committed to ensuring that no resident is left behind in accessing essential healthcare services.
He further assured residents that adequate logistics and security arrangements had been put in place to ensure the successful implementation of the programme across all parts of the state, including difficult-to-reach riverine communities.
In his remarks, the Executive Director of KSPHCDA, Dr. Musa Omeiza Muazu, said the integrated approach was necessary because communities often face multiple health challenges simultaneously.
He explained that a single health team would deliver several interventions during one visit, thereby improving efficiency, reducing costs and expanding access to healthcare services.
Dr. Muazu commended the state government, WHO, UNICEF, Sight Savers and other development partners for their support and called on traditional rulers, market women associations and youth groups to mobilize residents for active participation.
“Let no child be missed,” he urged.
Also speaking, UNICEF State Facilitator, Mr. Olumide Adeyeye, said the programme combines critical interventions targeted at improving the health and well-being of mothers and children.
He called on all stakeholders to work together to ensure the success of the campaign and urged health workers to maintain professionalism throughout the exercise.
Earlier, the State Nutrition Officer, Mr. Abdulazeez Usman, disclosed that nutrition teams would conduct growth monitoring for children under five years, administer Vitamin A supplements, provide nutrition counselling to mothers and distribute iron-folate supplements to pregnant women.
He encouraged families to make use of affordable local foods such as beans, eggs, ugu and moringa to improve household nutrition, noting that HPV vaccination helps prevent cervical cancer while deworming protects children from nutrient loss caused by parasitic infections.
One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Sadiya Abubakar, expressed appreciation to the state government for providing the services free of charge, describing the programme as highly beneficial to nursing mothers and their children.
The integrated campaign is expected to run across all local government areas of Kogi State, bringing essential healthcare services closer to communities and strengthening efforts to improve maternal and child health outcomes.
