1.5Million Children Targeted By Jigawa State Govt, Malaria Consortium

Yesterday, in a partnership with the Malaria Consortium, the Jigawa State Government inaugurated the 2022 Seasonal Malaria Chemo-prevention (SMC) campaign. The exercise is to target over 1.5 million children.

Malam Bilya Haruna, the Coordinator of the Malaria Control Programme in the state, explained that the SMC was the administration of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine to children that are less than five years to protect them from malaria during the peak period of its transmission between July and October.

The coordinator then urged for parents and guardians to avail their children of the exercise so as to ensure a malaria-free society.

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According to him, all hands must be on the deck in order to ensure the smooth execution of the exercise to save the lives of children.

Bilya also added that 10,000 ad hoc members of staff had been engaged to conduct the exercise, from the 4th of June to the 4th of October.

“More than 10,000 ad hoc members of staff were recruited and will go from house to house to administer the malaria preventive drugs to the targeted children.”

In his remarks, he reiterated the state government’s commitment to eliminating malaria using a number of strategies, including the provision of insecticide-treated nets and administering anti-malarial drugs to children and expectant mothers.