Early childcare in Ogun State gets spotlight at UNICEF-backed SBC meeting. Experts stress vaccination, antenatal visits, and grassroots health education

Early childcare in Ogun State took center stage on Wednesday as health experts, government officials, and civil society stakeholders emphasized the urgent need for timely vaccination, antenatal care, and behavioural change during a quarterly SBC Committee meeting in Abeokuta.

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The event, hosted by the Ministry of Information and Strategy in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), focused on strategies to safeguard child health and reduce mortality rates across Ogun and Nigeria at large.

The Social and Behavioural Change (SBC) Committee, formerly known as S-SOMTEC, champions evidence-based interventions to promote children’s rights and well-being through community engagement and public education.

UNICEF SBC Specialist, Mr. Michael Oyediji, warned that childhood illnesses like polio and measles remain real threats, especially when preventive measures such as vaccination and hygiene practices are overlooked.

He also called on pregnant women to attend at least four antenatal visits, noting this would help identify health risks early and curb maternal and infant mortality.

Waheed Elegede, a health educator from the Ogun State Primary Health Care Development Board, echoed this, stressing that “change begins with self” and urged health workers to fully understand children’s illnesses in order to better educate communities.

He listed preventable diseases like hepatitis, tetanus, diarrhoea, measles, and HPV, urging families to embrace timely vaccinations.

Waheed Adesina, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, urged stakeholders to move beyond awareness campaigns and tackle cultural, economic, and psychological barriers that hinder healthcare delivery.

“These discussions are lifelines,” he said. “They connect policies to the grassroots, where a child’s survival hangs in the balance.”

Programme Director Kemi Ewedairo-Yusuf, in her opening remarks, applauded the joint commitment of participants and called for purpose-driven engagement.

“This meeting is a testament to our shared goal of creating safer, healthier futures for children in Ogun,” she noted.

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As Ogun intensifies its focus on early childcare, UNICEF and local agencies reaffirmed their commitment to transforming ideas into actions that ripple through communities and save lives.