Kwara state government on Friday flagged off the 2024 Seasonal Malaria Chemo-prevention (SMC) campaign as part of malaria elimination interventions started in 2021.
Speaking at the event in Ilorin, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq said that his administration has reduced the burden of severe malaria to 6 per cent among children in the state, particularly, with the collective efforts of its partners.
Represented by the commissioner for Youth, Sheu Ndanusa Usman, the governor said that Malaria is a major public health concern in Nigeria and a significant cause of under-5 morbidity and mortality with a prevalence of 23 per cent in under-5 children.
“Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention involves the house-to-house distribution of malaria preventive medicine to children aged 3-59 months in 11 eligible LGA of Kwara state,” he said.
The governor charged mothers to receive health volunteers; Community Distributors (CDD) who will be coming to their houses to give the malaria preventive drug (SPAQ) and supervise the administration of the first dose to eligible children.
“Our mothers are to equally ensure that they complete the day 2 and day 3 drug to keep their children free from malaria this rainy season, while our mothers and fathers should ensure that they and their children continue to sleep under the Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) every night,” he said.
He said that the state implemented the first-ever integrated SMC and insecticide-treated net campaign last year to increase access and impact of malaria elimination strategies, adding that the innovations have been applauded globally and have been adopted by other states.
“The Kwara State Government remains committed in our quest to zero malaria and will leave no stone unturned in achieving this. The infrastructural upgrade of our health facilities, and training of health care workers across the 16 LGA will continue as we bring qualitative health care services to all Kwarans.
“I want to thank the National Malaria Elimination Programme of the Federal Ministry of Health and Global Fund for always prioritizing Kwara for health intervention and for the immense support on the GC7 grant to Kwara State supporting Malaria, HIV, TB and Health System Strengthening.”
Also speaking, the state commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina El-Imam, said that Malaria is one of the biggest killers in Africa, especially, among children of ages under-5 years.
Representatives of the National Malaria Immunization Programme and the World Health Organization (WHO) while speaking at the event, appreciated the state government for taking ownership of the programme.
They encouraged mothers to allow the SMC teams to their homes and to use the drugs accordingly.
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