ABUJA, Nigeria — Save the Children International (SCI) has raised concern over the high number of zero-dose children in Nigeria—those who have never received a routine vaccine.
The organisation estimates that 2.1 million children in the country remain unvaccinated.
In a press statement signed by Delfhin Mugo, SCI’s Media Manager, the organisation unveiled a new initiative aimed at overcoming barriers to child immunisation.
The effort, backed by the Save the Children Immunisation Accelerator and funded by pharmaceutical giant GSK, has awarded grants to two innovative projects in Nigeria and Ethiopia to tackle vaccine hesitancy and improve immunisation access in underserved communities.
$100,000 Grants to Boost Immunisation Efforts
Two organisations — Centre for Integrated Health Programmes (CIHP) in Nigeria and HABTech Solutions PLC in Ethiopia — were selected from a pool of 120 applicants to receive technical and financial support, including grants of nearly $100,000 each.
The funding will support community-led strategies designed to increase immunisation uptake among vulnerable populations.
Bolanle Oyeledun, CEO of CIHP, highlighted how their initiative will address vaccine hesitancy, particularly in urban slums of Lagos State, by leveraging community-driven behavioural change strategies.
“Our innovation will focus on real-life experiences of caregivers who successfully vaccinated their children, using their stories to inspire others,” Dr. Oyeledun explained.
“This funding will help identify gaps and missed opportunities in immunisation uptake, moving us closer to our goal of higher vaccination coverage.”
Meanwhile, Adane Letta Mamuye, General Manager at HABTech Solutions, stressed the role of technology in identifying and tracking zero-dose children in Ethiopia.
“Our technology-driven approach aims to map out immunisation gaps, address vaccine shortages, and provide real-time solutions to improve immunisation efforts,” Mamuye said.
Locally Driven Solutions for a Global Challenge
Save the Children Immunisation Accelerator Lead, Ermias Teshome, emphasised the need for innovative, community-led interventions to tackle the crisis of vaccine-preventable diseases.
“Every child deserves access to life-saving vaccinations. The urgent challenges in child immunisation require innovative approaches, and the projects by CIHP and HABTech Solutions have demonstrated remarkable potential to deliver impactful change,” he stated.
The newly funded initiatives will be piloted alongside Save the Children’s existing vaccination programmes in Nigeria and Ethiopia in collaboration with GSK.
The ultimate goal, according to SCI, is to bridge immunisation gaps, combat vaccine hesitancy, and ensure that every child — regardless of location or socio-economic background — receives the protection they need against preventable diseases.
