Save the Children International (SCI), in collaboration with the Lagos State Accountability Mechanism (LASAM) for Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent, Health and Nutrition, has launched a new initiative to reduce the number of zero-dose and under-immunised children in Lagos state.
The initiative is part of the Better Opportunity for Optimal Services and Targeted Immunisation for Zero Dose and Under Immunised Children (BOOST Project), a four-year programme (2024–2027) in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and state health ministries in Lagos and Kano.
According to the 2022 World Universal Immunization Coverage Report (WUENIC), Nigeria has about 2.3 million zero-dose children, making up 26.5 per cent of children under age one. In 2021, Nigeria ranked second globally in the number of zero-dose children, with 2.2 million cases, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
In Lagos, Alimosho Local Government Area (LGA) had the highest number of zero-dose children in Nigeria, with over 35,000 children unvaccinated.
The Lagos state project manager and advocacy coordinator for BOOST, Dr Itunu Dave-Agboola, at a one-day engagement workshop held in Lagos, explained that the project explicitly targets zero-dose children, who have never received any vaccine dose and under-immunized children who have not completed their immunization schedule.
GSK-funded, the BOOST project in Lagos will focus on Alimosho and Ikorodu LGAs, while in Kano state, it targets Ungogo and Gezawa LGAs. A core project component involves working with LASAM to ensure sustainable funding, robust health workforce support, and policy development to boost immunisation coverage.
The workshop brought together LASAM subcommittees on Evidence, Advocacy, and Knowledge Management & Communication (KMC) to finalise advocacy briefs and define the next steps for implementation.
