Posted on: Thu 08-05-2025

As the world celebrates World Immunisation Week, a wave of hope has washed over remote corners of Rivers State, thanks to a bold and compassionate outreach led by UNICEF, the World Health Organisation (WHO), and local partners. For five days, these organisations defied distance, fear, and misinformation, reaching into underserved communities with a mission not just to vaccinate children, but to save lives.

In the fishing port of Akpajo, Eleme LGA, 18-year-old single mother Happiness Tombari stood at the edge of desperation. Her 10-month-old son, never immunised, was battling a mysterious illness. When the outreach team arrived, offering free vaccines and health advice, she hesitated—worn down by fear and myths. But seeing her baby’s worsening condition, she chose courage. She walked to the health centre, where doctors diagnosed the child and administered his first life-saving BCG shot. For Happiness, this was more than a medical intervention—it was a lifeline.

The Quiet Power of Community Voices

But not all heroes wear lab coats. Philomena Bassey, a mother from Sand-Fill, Eleme, no longer vaccinates her own children—they’re grown now—but she’s become a crusader for truth. In a sea of scepticism, she’s a voice of reason, going door-to-door to urge other mothers to protect their children.

“My children are healthy because I didn’t miss a single vaccine,” she says with conviction. “But those who ignore immunisation? Their children suffer—measles, cough, fevers. I see it all the time.”

Fighting Misinformation, One Needle at a Time

Health worker Blessing Okanje has seen firsthand the cost of ignorance. “We’re offering vaccines for measles, rotavirus, and polio,” she said. “But we still find children—like a 5-year-old in Ekporika—who’ve never had a single jab.”

Despite challenges, the tide is turning. Sensitisation efforts are breaking down barriers, even as some faith-based groups continue to resist, refusing immunisation access on religious grounds.

Still, the campaign surged forward across five high-risk LGAs—Eleme, Gokana, Khana, Obio/Akpor, and Ahoada East—places identified by the state’s health experts as hotspots for vaccine-preventable diseases.

A Race Against Time and Misinformation

At the flag-off event in Obio/Akpor LGA, WHO’s Acting Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, reminded the world of what’s at stake: “Vaccines have saved 154 million lives in the past 50 years. Yet, in 2023, 6.7 million African children received no vaccines at all.”

That sobering reality forms the heart of Immunisation Agenda 2030 (IA2030), a global push to leave no child behind. But the halfway mark is no place to rest. The message is clear: now is the time to accelerate efforts, deepen access, and crush the hesitancy that still holds too many communities hostage.

The COVID-19 Setback—and the Fight to Rebuild Trust

Dr. Babbo Diana, Rivers State Health Educator, paints a troubling picture: “After COVID-19, trust in vaccines plummeted. We’re still trying to rebuild that trust, and we’re not there yet.”

The post-pandemic world has created fertile ground for doubt. Mothers hesitate. Myths flourish. But so do the consequences—rising cases of diseases we once nearly wiped out.

“We can’t afford to let our guard down,” Dr. Diana urges. “We’re offering something powerful, effective—and free. And yet, children are still dying from diseases they never should have gotten.”

UNICEF’s Wider Vision: No State Left Behind

UNICEF, through its Chief of Field Office in Enugu, Mrs. Juliet Chiluwe, is thinking big. Twelve states—including Rivers—are part of an expanded immunisation campaign targeting zero-dose children. The goal? Universal coverage. No child left unprotected.

“This year’s theme, ‘Immunisation for All is Humanly Possible’, is not just a slogan,” Chiluwe insists. “It’s a moral call to action. Every life matters. Every child deserves the chance to survive and thrive.”

But none of this progress is possible without continued investment and unified effort. Chiluwe called on government and partners alike to sustain momentum through increased funding and consistent outreach.

A Shot of Justice

What’s happening in Rivers State isn’t just a medical exercise—it’s a fight for equity, dignity, and justice. It’s about reaching the children hidden by geography, poverty, or misinformation, and giving them the same shot at life as any child in Lagos, London, or New York.

Because ultimately, immunisation isn’t just about vaccines. It’s about hope. It's about trust. It’s about the quiet, daily decisions of mothers like Happiness and champions like Philomena who choose to believe in something better—for their children, and for all of us.

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