The federal government has reiterated its commitment to tackling vaccine hesitancy through strategic communication and the engagement of traditional and religious leaders.

The special adviser to the president on health, Salma Anas, said this during a panel session on vaccine hesitancy, held at the 24th Biennial Conference of the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria in Kaduna on Tuesday.

The session, organised by the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), focused on the impact of vaccine hesitancy and the roles of traditional and religious institutions in promoting immunisation uptake.

Ms Anas said the government was taking decisive steps to address misinformation, malinformation, and disinformation that hinder public confidence in vaccines.

“The federal government is working towards achieving 80 per cent equitable coverage of all antigens by 2028. Religious and traditional leaders are critical partners in this journey,” she said.

The presidential aide added that under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, there has been sustained funding and policy realignment aimed at strengthening the nation’s primary healthcare system.

Earlier, Judith-Ann Walker, the executive director of the Development Research and Projects Centre, was represented by Hassan Karofi, the director of partnerships and communication at dRPC, who stated that vaccines remain central to the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative, launched in 2023.

She stated that the initiative prioritised strengthening routine immunisation and rapid outbreak response under the sector-wide approach, with the goal of achieving universal health coverage.

Ms Walker disclosed that 12 million girls aged nine to 14 had so far received the Human Papillomavirus vaccine, which was introduced recently as part of the expanded immunisation schedule.

Despite this progress, she noted that vaccine hesitancy remained a significant challenge, driven by factors such as complacency, lack of confidence, and misinformation.

“Maternal and child health are deeply impacted by vaccine hesitancy. Women, as primary caregivers, are particularly vulnerable to disinformation,” Ms Walker said.

She commended ongoing efforts through initiatives such as the Grand Challenges Canada and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation-funded Partnership for Family and Child Health, which had deployed traditional and religious leaders in successful awareness campaigns across Northern Nigeria.

In his remarks, Abdulazeez Mashi of the Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina, called for a greater focus on health communication strategies to counter misinformation and build public trust in vaccines.

Outgoing MWAN president, Rosemary Ogu, advised healthcare providers to assess and adjust their approach to service delivery, warning that provider behaviour can also contribute to vaccine hesitancy.

“Service providers themselves need orientation. The way they communicate can either build or erode trust,” she said.

(NAN)