Adamawa partners SFH against malaria in children

The Adamawa State Ministry of Health has partnered with the Society for Family Health (SFH) on a campaign to prevent malaria in children.

SFH announced the launch of the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign in a post on X.

According to SFH, the campaign aims to administer “Sulphadoxine-Pyrimethamine and Amodiaquine (SPAQ)” to children aged three to 59 months, providing critical protection against malaria during the rainy season.

It noted that the first cycle of the door-to-door SPAQ administration will take place from 29 June to 2 July.

Malaria elimination programme

The Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, represented by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Felix Tangwami, launched the campaign held at Yelwa Primary Healthcare Centre in Jimeta.

The governor expressed heartfelt appreciation to SFH for its efforts and innovative strategies in implementing the SMC campaign.

Mr Fintiri reiterated his unwavering commitment to providing top-notch healthcare services and acknowledged the invaluable guidance of the federal government’s National Malaria Elimination Programme in steering SMC campaigns nationwide.

He called on parents to protect their children from malaria by completing the required doses.

“The campaign will provide malaria preventive medicine for children, and caregivers should take advantage of this opportunity to ensure their children are fully protected by completing the doses,” he said.

Mr Fintiri underscored the high risk of malaria among children aged three to 59 months, particularly during the rainy season. He emphasised the crucial role of the SMC campaign in protecting their health and well-being.

The ceremony was attended by a diverse range of stakeholders, including representatives from the World Health Organisation (WHO), National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), as well as traditional and religious leaders.

Combating malaria

The Head of Programmes at NMEP, David Oyeleke, representing the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, spoke about the nation’s achievements in combating malaria.

He appealed for sustained support from the state government and stakeholders to achieve a malaria-free Nigeria. He reaffirmed the federal government’s dedication to eradicating malaria through effective policy implementation and strategic guidance.

The SFH Managing Director, represented by John Ocholi, the project director of Global Fund Malaria, also commended the SMC campaign.

Mr Ocholi said, “Our goal is to significantly reduce malaria incidence among children by reaching all eligible children in Adamawa State with SPAQ.”

He stated that there is a need to spread awareness through traditional and religious channels for a successful campaign, adding that SFH aims to administer 1,085,001 doses of SPAQ to eligible children in all 21 local governments and wards in Adamawa State within the next four days.

Efforts in Nigeria

Mr Pate, in February, expressed concern over the burden of malaria in Nigeria, even as he called for a review of the country’s strategies to combat the disease.

According to Mr Pate, 70 years after implementing programmes to eliminate malaria, Nigeria still bears 30 per cent of the global burden, with an estimated 68 million cases and 190,000 deaths from the disease as of 2021.

He said the health ministry, in collaboration with partners, is considering initiatives “anchored on the Presidential Initiative to unlock health sector value chain, to eradicate malaria from the country.”

Some of the initiatives include the development of domestic manufacturing of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs), generic pharmaceuticals, the introduction of appropriate safe and cost-effective vaccines, and potentially mosquito-repellent products.