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Urge Inside Health| East Africa. Urge- DevWire
Uganda launches nationwide measles-rubella campaign targeting 7.9 million children
Uganda has launched one of its largest recent public-health vaccination campaigns, targeting nearly 7.9 million children aged 9–59 months across all 146 districts and cities with measles-rubella vaccines.
The campaign was launched at Wakiso Health Center IV and is designed to run for five days. The Ministry of Health, WHO and other partners are seeking to close immunity gaps that widened during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO reports that approximately 3 million Ugandan children missed their second measles-rubella dose during and after the pandemic. Catch-up activities have reached about 1.5 million children, leaving a significant number still vulnerable.
The campaign follows Uganda's experience with measles outbreaks. In 2025, the country recorded 66 separate outbreaks. WHO's earlier assessment found that many families wanted their children vaccinated but faced practical barriers to accessing services.
Uganda introduced measles-rubella vaccination into routine immunisation in 2019 and a second dose in 2022. However, sustaining the 95% coverage required to interrupt transmission remains difficult.
The new campaign combines vaccination with community mobilisation intended to reach children regardless of where they live. Health authorities are also stressing that the campaign does not replace routine immunisation and that children should continue receiving all vaccines in the national schedule.
For Uganda, improving measles coverage is both a disease-control priority and an investment in child survival, education and long-term development.
Verified source: WHO Regional Office for Africa – 2 October 2026
Urge Inside Health| East Africa. Urge- DevWire
Wakiso, Uganda - 02 October 2026
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