By Lizzy Carr, Bauchi
The Bauchi state government has on Monday commenced its 2022 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign across all the 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) for children from 3-59 months old.
The exercise was inaugurated in Dass LGA, Bauchi State.
Speaking, Dr Mohammed Sani, Executive chairman of Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria (BACATMA), said the exercise would be a house-to-house exercise.
”The team administered the first dose of Sulfadoxine Pyrimethamine (SP) and Amodiaquine (AQ) to the child.
”Local government areas in Bauchi south are to conduct five circles, while those in the north will have four circles due to differences in their environments,” he said.
Sani said the state started implementing SMC in 10 selected LGAs in 2020, however, the exercise had been scaled to all the 20 LGA based on successes recorded.
”I can tell you that the incidence of malaria has reduced with SMC; we have less hospital attendance as a result of the disease.
“The narrative reported cases of Malaria have changed with SMC,” he said.
The chairman added that SMC is given during the months of July to October as it is the period that malaria cases are mostly reported.
He noted that the state had other interventions against malaria including distribution of Intermittent Preventive Therapy (IPT) for pregnant women and Long lasting insecticidal nets.
In his contribution, Mr Kabiru Mohammed, the North East Zonal Project Manager of Malar Consortium, said Nigeria started an early pilot implementation in 2013 following a recommendation from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
“Statistics from the NDHS 2018 show a significant reduction in malaria burden in the Country,” he said.
Furthermore, Ali Babayo, Permanent Secretary, Bauchi state Ministry of Health, said that the state government was committed to providing quality healthcare to its citizens, adding that SMC campaign was a clear indication of such programs.
The Emir of Dass, Usman Bilyaminu, also called on households to support the exercise by availing their children access to the teams.
