Concern have been raised over Nigeria’s rubella burden, with 461 reported cases in 2025, accounting for 10.8% of the global total.
The Niger State Commissioner for Primary Health Care, Ibrahim Dangana made this known during a one-day sensitization on rubella and measles diseases training organised by UNICEF in collaboration with his Ministry for media practitioners, health educators, and health workers in Minna.
Represented by the State Immunisation Officer, Abubakar Usman Kpantu, the commissioner noted that this development is particularly worrying given the high susceptibility of Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) among women of childbearing age, which has contributed to the national CRS burden.
He explained that currently, Nigeria accounts for 37% of the global burden of measles and rubella, as well as 54% of polio cases in Africa, making it the second-largest contributor after the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Dangana, observed that rubella is a vaccine-preventable disease, and in response, the federal government and UNICEF are set to launch a vaccination campaign across states against measles, rubella, and polio for children between nine months and 14 years in October, targeting over 102 million children across the country.
The commissioner also highlighted that an estimated 100,000 babies are born with CRS globally each year, hence the need for vaccination.
He further revealed that rubella is under-documented due to limited surveillance, adding, “As at 2024, Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) remained a significant global public health concern, with an estimated 100,000 babies born into CRS each year.”
The State Health Educator, Mohammed Usman, stressed the important role of the media in mobilizing communities and dispelling misinformation about vaccines, hence the decision to organize the training.
Also commenting, UNICEF Niger State Lead, Grace Odeyemi, urged media practitioners to help disseminate accurate information about the campaign targeting over 102 million children across Nigeria.
She said the campaign is aimed at reducing measles and rubella cases to less than 5 per million by 2026 and 1 per million by 2030, and increasing population immunity through vaccination.