Community of Care

When Nigeria launched a two-phased Integrated Measles-Rubella Campaign, the largest immunization drive in Africa, it set out to reach more than 106 million children aged 9 months to 14 years. Behind the numbers were acts of trust, leadership and community partnership that helped ensure no child was left behind. 

In Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State, that trust came alive at Our Lady of Fatima Private School in Jenta Apata Ward. On a bright morning, members of vaccination Team 096 moved steadily from child to child, administering vaccines with care. Pupils waited patiently in line, guided by their teachers. Each child held a white sheet of paper, a signed parental consent form. 

The forms represented more than permission. They showed that parents had received information, made a decision and placed their confidence in the health system. That confidence did not happen by chance. 

A bridge between parents and protection 

At the heart of the school’s preparation was Lilian, the school secretary and Parent-Teacher Association coordinator, who had served the school for more than 20 years. After receiving advance notice from the Plateau State Primary Health Care Board, she made sure parents were informed early and clearly. 

“As soon as we received information about the campaign, we sent consent forms home,” she says. “We made it clear that this was a government-led initiative and that the school supported it. We respected parents’ choices, but we encouraged vaccination because it protects every child.” 

Flyers were sent home, messages were reinforced through PTA channels, and parents had more than two weeks to ask questions and make informed decisions. By the time the vaccination team arrived, the school was ready. 

Inside the classrooms, teachers called pupils forward by name. The atmosphere was calm and reassuring. For many of the children, it was their first experience of a public health campaign, and it felt safe. 

Faith, leadership and community care 

With many eligible children in school during the campaign, Parent-Teacher Associations became important allies. Reverend Sister Elizabeth, the school’s director and headmistress, saw participation in the campaign as part of the school’s responsibility to the wider community. 

“As a Catholic school, we believe that a healthy child stays in school. That is why we always welcome the health teams,” she says. “The church announced the campaign during services. We shared messages on our school and church platforms and placed banners at the gate so people could easily identify the vaccination point. Parents even brought younger children from the neighbourhood for vaccination.” 

The school opened its gates not only to pupils, but also to families in the surrounding community, turning the compound into a trusted access point for lifesaving vaccines. Together with six other vaccination teams in the ward, Team 096 worked towards vaccinating more than 18,000 children in Jenta Apata Ward. 

It was a simple demonstration of what could happen when schools, faith institutions, parents and health workers worked together. 

One story that changed many minds 

Several hundred kilometres away, in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, another story of trust was unfolding. 

Mr Gerald Teleh, a retired primary school teacher, had spent much of his life shaping young minds. Like many caregivers, he had heard conflicting rumours about vaccines and feared resistance from parents. Then, two years earlier, his perspective changed. His best friend’s wife, Halima, died from cervical cancer, leaving behind three young children. 

“Watching her suffer was one of the hardest experiences of my life,” Mr Teleh recalls. “She was young and full of life. That loss taught me the importance of prevention. If one story could save a life, then her story had to be told.” 

When the next immunization campaign was announced, offering Measles-Rubella and Human Papillomavirus vaccines, Mr Teleh did not hesitate. As a Ward Development Committee chairman and member of the Non-Compliance Resolution Team, he convened a special PTA meeting with support from health educators. 

He shared Halima’s story openly and urged parents to protect their children from preventable diseases. Parents asked questions, their concerns were addressed and confidence grew. 

“Education is not only about books,” he says. “It is also about protecting the future.” 

Turning hesitancy into hope 

Not every school welcomed vaccination teams immediately. In Bwari Area Council of the FCT, several schools initially refused entry, citing concerns from parents. 

The local government activated its Non-Compliance Resolution Team, bringing together PTA representatives, health educators, health workers and respected traditional and religious leaders. Among them was His Royal Highness Sheikh Dr Ibrahim Yusuf, Chairman of the Inter-Faith Assembly. His message to school leaders was clear. 

“Parents trust schools to nurture their children,” he said. “Why not also protect them? A healthy child is a teachable child.” 

Through respectful dialogue, resistance gave way to cooperation. Schools reversed their decisions and some requested repeat visits so that all eligible children could be reached. In the end, hesitancy was resolved in 56 of 60 schools, an achievement rooted not in force, but in trust. 

More than vaccines 

Across Nigeria, misinformation and fear continue to fuel vaccine hesitancy. But the experiences in Jos North, Gwagwalada and Bwari show the value of community-driven Social and Behaviour Change approaches: listening, engaging trusted voices and meeting caregivers where they are. 

With support from UNICEF and partners, including the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 4,700 PTAs across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory were mobilized. School leaders, PTA representatives and health teachers became advocates, helping caregivers get the information they needed to make informed choices. 

As vaccination teams packed up at the end of each school day, one thing was clear. The campaign was about more than vaccines. It was about teachers, parents, faith leaders, health workers and communities choosing to protect children together, one child at a time.