The Nigerian Red Cross Society (NRCS), Lagos State Branch, has commenced the Training of Trainers (ToT) for the Measles–Rubella (MR) House-to-House Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Social Mobilisation Campaign ahead of the Lagos State-wide vaccination exercise.
Under the programme, the Red Cross will deploy 4,857 trained volunteers across the state’s 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) to support government efforts aimed at boosting vaccine uptake and preventing outbreaks of measles and rubella among children.
The initiative, jointly funded by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Red Cross, is being implemented in collaboration with the Lagos State Government, with technical coordination from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and oversight from the National Headquarters of the Nigerian Red Cross.
As part of preparations, the Red Cross is training 486 supervisors, 20 divisional secretaries and 20 divisional data officers to coordinate field activities and manage data reporting across the LGAs. The volunteers will work for 12 days, comprising two days of pre-campaign sensitisation, eight to ten days of vaccination mobilisation, and follow-up activities to ensure no eligible child is missed.
Speaking with journalists during the training, Mr. Olakunle Lasisi, Lagos State Branch Secretary of the Nigerian Red Cross, explained that the ongoing session is designed to strengthen grassroots mobilisation.
“This is the training of trainers, who will serve as supervisors at the local government level. They will oversee volunteers who are community-based and familiar with the people they are engaging,” Lasisi said.
He added that divisional data officers would collate daily reports from the field, noting that cases of vaccine refusal would be promptly escalated to health educators and Local Immunisation Officers (LIOs) for follow-up.
“Red Cross is an auxiliary to public authorities. The government is in charge of this programme, and we are supporting Lagos State to ensure success. Where caregivers are hesitant, we flag such cases for further engagement by health officials,” he explained.
Addressing vaccine hesitancy, Lasisi said the training equips volunteers with skills to respond to misinformation, fears and myths surrounding vaccination.
“That is the essence of this training. Our volunteers are taught how to approach caregivers, explain the benefits, and address concerns. Where resistance persists, follow-up visits will be conducted. The trust people have in the Red Cross globally makes this easier,” he noted.
Lasisi expressed confidence that the campaign would record high coverage, citing past experience.
“In 2018, a similar mobilisation achieved about 99 per cent coverage. With over 5,000 volunteers carefully selected and evenly distributed, we are optimistic that Lagos will record another success story,” he said.
He also commended the Lagos State Government for embracing partnerships, describing the collaboration with the Lagos State Primary Health Care Development Board as critical to reaching communities, schools, religious centres and traditional institutions.
Also speaking, Mrs. Sandra Kanezi, a Senior Health Officer with the IFRC, said the training marked a key milestone in preparations for the campaign.
“Today, we are conducting the Training of Trainers for state stakeholders, health educators, Red Cross divisional secretaries, data officers and supervisors who will lead community-level activities across the 20 LGAs,” she said.
According to her, the 12-day campaign is designed to complement routine immunisation and ensure that no child aged nine months to 15 years is missed.
“This intervention is meant to reduce the burden of measles and rubella in Lagos and Nigeria at large. We have seen success with similar activities in Kano, and we are anticipating even better outcomes in Lagos,” Kanezi stated.
She explained that success would be measured through field reports, follow-up assessments, and increased utilisation of vaccines at primary healthcare facilities.
On reaching vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities, Kanezi said volunteers were drawn from the communities themselves, ensuring trust and accessibility.
“Community-based volunteers are mobilising caregivers within their localities to visit the nearest vaccination points. This strategy helps ensure wide coverage and inclusion,” she added.
Providing a national perspective, Dr. Ahmed Abdul Majid, Senior Project Officer at the Nigerian Red Cross Headquarters, Abuja, said the Lagos campaign aligns with the organisation’s broader strategy on disease prevention and community health promotion.
“The Red Cross has a presence in all communities across Nigeria. Because of our strength in community engagement and social mobilisation, we are supporting the introduction and scale-up of the Measles–Rubella vaccine nationwide,” he said.
Dr. Abdul Majid noted that similar campaigns had already been implemented in northern states and parts of the South, adding that Lagos and Bayelsa were currently benefiting from the latest phase.
He assured parents and caregivers of the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine, urging them to rely on verified information.
“Vaccines undergo strict quality checks. No government will endanger its citizens. The vaccine is safe, effective and provided free of charge by the Nigerian government,” he said, calling on the public to avoid spreading unverified information.
He further described measles and rubella as persistent public health challenges, attributing outbreaks largely to vaccine refusal.
“When some people refuse vaccination, they put others at risk. Immunisation protects not just the individual child, but the entire community,” he warned.
The Nigerian Red Cross reiterated its commitment to supporting government health programmes and called on parents and caregivers across Lagos State to present eligible children for vaccination when the campaign begins.
Nigerian Red Cross Trains Over 500 Supervisors, Deploys 4,800 Volunteers for Lagos Measles–Rubella Campaign
