DEVELOPMENT
Aba North Council Endorses Measles–Rubella Vaccination Drive as Mayor Timothy Kalu Iheke, Wife Champions Transparency, Safety, and Grassroots Awareness
The Mayor of Aba North Local Government Area, Hon. Timothy Kalu Iheke, has reaffirmed the council’s firm commitment to the Measles and Rubella Vaccine (MRV) campaign, describing the initiative as a vital intervention aimed at safeguarding child health and significantly reducing infant mortality across the local government area.
The Mayor made this known during a stakeholders’ engagement held ahead of the immunization exercise scheduled to run from February 4 to February 15, 2026. He commended health authorities for their level of preparedness while underscoring the necessity of transparency, proper handling, and strict compliance with global best practices in vaccine administration.
Hon. Iheke acknowledged the existence of circulating rumours concerning alleged foreign agendas linked to vaccination programmes, including speculations about external influence. While emphasizing the need to address such concerns responsibly, he stressed that residents deserve absolute clarity on the source, origin, safety, and efficacy of the Measles–Rubella Vaccine (MRV) to ensure public confidence, especially where children are concerned.
According to the Mayor, public trust remains central to the success of any health intervention. He therefore called for sustained public enlightenment to dispel misinformation, assuring residents that the Aba North Council would only permit the administration of vaccines that are duly approved, certified, and confirmed safe by relevant authorities.
He further noted that vaccines are highly sensitive medical products that must be stored, handled, and administered strictly in accordance with approved guidelines, particularly regarding cold-chain management and expiry timelines. In this regard, the Mayor requested an assessment of health facilities lacking functional refrigerators to strengthen storage capacity and safeguard vaccine potency. The Health Authority Secretary assured stakeholders that a comprehensive report would be provided.
Earlier, the Wife of the Mayor of Aba North Local Government Area, Lady Nina Iheke, led a grassroots sensitization advocacy on the importance of the Measles–Rubella Vaccine, highlighting its role in preventing childhood diseases and reducing infant mortality.
Addressing health stakeholders, medical personnel, traditional rulers, and community leaders at the conference hall of the Chairman’s office, she emphasized that early engagement and sustained awareness are crucial to the success of the campaign.
Lady Iheke urged health workers to intensify community-level outreach, encouraging the use of social media platforms, posters, and other communication channels to adequately prepare residents ahead of physical engagement. She noted that proper sensitization would help eliminate fear, ignorance, and resistance when vaccination teams eventually arrive in communities.
She also stressed the importance of timely vaccination, pointing out that strict adherence to vaccination schedules is essential for the vaccines to deliver their intended protective benefits.
Providing further technical details, the Health Authority Secretary (HAS) for Aba North, Mrs. Adaeze Ihuoma, announced that the major vaccination exercise would commence on February 4, 2026. She assured stakeholders that the MRV is effective in preventing measles, rubella, disabilities, and other related health complications.
Mrs. Ihuoma disclosed that the health authority is collaborating with religious bodies, schools, and traditional institutions to ensure wide dissemination of accurate information. She reaffirmed that the vaccines have received approvals from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), confirming their safety and certification for use.
She explained that vaccination would be conducted at designated fixed locations within approved timeframes, with targeted outreach to schools and churches where necessary, adding that the exercise would not involve house-to-house vaccination. She further clarified that once a vial of the vaccine is opened, it remains viable for only six hours and must be discarded afterward in line with safety protocols.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Council of Traditional Rulers in Aba North Local Government Area, Eze Chima Njoku, pledged the full support of traditional institutions, urging community leaders to make themselves available whenever called upon to ensure the overall success of the campaign.
In a vote of thanks, the Supervisor for Health for Aba North, Hon. Hillary Chukwugirim, appealed for strict adherence to all resolutions reached, noting that such commitment would enable Aba North to continue setting benchmarks in effective primary healthcare delivery. He also called for a mobilization framework to support logistics and vaccine movement, a request the Mayor assured would receive due consideration.
Dignitaries present at the stakeholders’ engagement included the Councillor representing Old GRA Ward 7, Hon. Julius Alfred; the Councillor representing Osusu I Ward 3, Hon. Stella Unadike; the Supervisor for Education, Hon. Chioma Onyenwe; the Education Secretary for Aba North, Mrs. Ngozi Omenazu; and several other key stakeholders, all of whom pledged their support toward the successful implementation of the Measles–Rubella Vaccination campaign.