The Cross River State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining strategic partnerships with development partners and key stakeholders as part of efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery across the state.
The Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, stated this during the official flag-off of the Measles–Rubella Vaccination Campaign (MRV) on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, at the Primary Health Care Centre, Ikot Ansa, Calabar.
Speaking on behalf of the Deputy Governor, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Henry Egbe Ayuk said the Bassey Otu administration places high priority on collaboration as a foundation for building a resilient and responsive health system, noting that partnerships cut across governmental and non-governmental institutions, including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).
He assured development partners of the state government’s commitment to providing a conducive operating environment, stressing that the administration is determined to sustain trust, rebuild confidence, and ensure the effective utilization of resources deployed to the health sector.
Dr. Ayuk also highlighted significant milestones recorded in the health sector, including the first-ever procurement of family planning commodities for community use by a Cross River State government, describing the move as a landmark policy decision aimed at improving access to essential health services.
He emphasized the critical role of community participation in improving vaccine uptake, calling on traditional rulers, community leaders, market women, and caregivers to mobilize support for the measles-rubella vaccination campaign to ensure optimal utilization of vaccines.
“This campaign is a system-strengthening measure designed to ensure that vaccines provided are fully utilized and that our children are adequately protected,” he said.
In a goodwill message, the Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, Nutrition and Food Security, Rt. Hon. Hilary Bisong, Ph.D, described immunization as one of the most effective public health interventions for preventing childhood deaths and cervical cancer, noting that the integration of the MR campaign, HPV vaccination for adolescent girls, and strengthened routine immunization reflects a comprehensive public health strategy under Governor Bassey Otu’s leadership.
Also speaking, the Director General of the Cross River State Primary Health Care Development Agency (CRSPHCDA), Dr. (Mrs.) Vivien Mesembe Otu, described the flag-off as historic, disclosing that Cross River State is among the Phase 2b implementing states for the newly introduced Measles–Rubella vaccine in Nigeria.
She explained that the campaign targets children aged 9 months to 14 years, aims to prevent Congenital Rubella Syndrome, and seeks to strengthen herd immunity across communities.
“By vaccinating our children today, we are not just preventing fever; we are protecting unborn children from lifelong disabilities such as blindness, deafness, heart defects, and intellectual impairments,” she said.
Dr. Otu assured parents and caregivers that all vaccines are safe, potent, government-funded, and provided free of charge, adding that vaccination teams would be deployed to health facilities, schools, religious centres, markets, and other public spaces to ensure no child is left behind.
Delivering a goodwill message on behalf of the First Lady of Cross River State, Bishop Eyoanwan Bassey Otu, her Special Adviser on Administration, Dr. Comfort Oko, urged parents and caregivers to embrace immunization as a proven and effective means of safeguarding children’s health and securing a healthier future for communities across the state.
In his goodwill message, the Commissioner for Information, Dr. Erasmus Ekpang, encouraged parents to take full advantage of the exercise by bringing out their children for vaccination, noting that Cross River State recently emerged Nigeria’s best-performing state in routine immunization in the 2024 National Demographic and Health Survey. He reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to expanding health policies and programmes that attract international support and pledged sustained media collaboration to ensure widespread public awareness, while also calling for improved access to anti-snake venom to curb avoidable deaths from snake bites.
The event also featured goodwill messages from the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Ekpo Ekpo Bassey, and representatives of the NPHCDA, UNICEF, WHO, and other partners, who commended the administration for its sustained commitment to healthcare reforms and pledged continued support towards improved health service delivery in Cross River State.
Kingsley Agim/Offiong Ikpeme
