From Abel Leonard, Lafia
The Nasarawa State government has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling malaria through the implementation of the fifth round of the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign, targeting over one million children under the age of five by 2025.
Speaking at a media parley held at the State Ministry of Health’s Conference Hall in Lafia on Thursday, August 7, 2025, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Gaza Gwamna, said the SMC programme has significantly reduced the malaria burden in the state, thanks to coordinated efforts and strategic partnerships.
“As we mark the fifth year of implementing the SMC programme in Nasarawa State, I am pleased to announce that we have made remarkable progress,” the commissioner stated. “Our efforts, alongside other anti-malaria interventions, have brought down the malaria burden in the state to 15 per cent, according to the 2021 Malaria Indicator Survey.”
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He disclosed that the government is targeting 1,037,785 eligible children in the next phase of the campaign, broken down into two groups: 196,808 children aged 3–11 months and 840,977 children aged 12–59 months.
The SMC programme, endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and supported by the Malaria Consortium, is aimed at preventing malaria during the peak transmission period using safe and effective medications, such as sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine and amodiaquine.
“These drugs are well-known, safe, and well-tolerated in children,” he said. “They will be administered to healthy children aged 3 to 59 months across all 13 local government areas of Nasarawa State from June to October.”
According to the commissioner, a total of 11,247 ad hoc personnel, including community drug distributors, town announcers, supervisors, and health facility workers, have been trained and deployed to ensure effective delivery of the drugs.
He further emphasised that the medications will be provided free of charge, courtesy of the Nasarawa State Government and with support from the Malaria Consortium through the GiveWell philanthropic funders.
The commissioner also used the occasion to commend the leadership of Governor Abdullahi Sule for his unwavering support for health and people-oriented initiatives, while urging stakeholders to play their part.
“Despite the strong commitment from the government, the success of this campaign requires collective effort,” he added. “We call on parents, caregivers, traditional and religious leaders, and especially the media, whose voices reach far and wide, to support and champion this initiative.”
He concluded by expressing appreciation to the Malaria Consortium for its continued technical and financial support over the past four years.
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