***Four-day campaign targets under-five children during peak transmission season
By Abel Daniel, Lafia
The Nasarawa State Government will administer Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) medication to over 1,037,000 children to curb malaria-related deaths among children under five.
Commissioner for Health, Dr. Gaza Gwamna, announced the initiative at a press conference in Lafia on Thursday, noting that the exercise will run for four days during the peak rainy season — the highest malaria transmission period.
The SMC drugs, Sulfadoxine–Pyrimethamine and Amodiaquine, are safe, WHO-endorsed, and well-tolerated in prescribed doses. The campaign, supported by the Malaria Consortium, will cover 196,808 children aged 3–11 months and 840,977 children aged 12–59 months.
Dr. Gaza revealed that 11,247 trained ad-hoc workers — including Community Drug Distributors, Town Announcers, Supervisors, and Health Facility Workers — will ensure smooth delivery.
He urged mothers and guardians to grant health workers access, stressing that the intervention has helped cut the state’s malaria burden to 15% since 2021.
“This is a reaffirmation of Governor Abdullahi A. Sule’s commitment to safeguarding the health of Nasarawa residents,” he said.
