Kenneth Maduka, Project Manager Malaria Consortium, Kogi State has said that no fewer than 1.2 million children, who are between ages of three and 59 months old, have undergone the Seasonal Malaria Chemotherapy in the State to prevent malaria during the rainy season.
Maduka, stated this during the 2024 Seasonal Malaria Chemo- prevention, organised by the Consortium in collaboration with the Kogi State Ministry of Health held in Lokoja, Kogi State Capital over the weekend.
Read also: Malaria kills 194,000 Nigerians as vaccine rollout faces $250m funding deficit
“In Kogi State alone, 1.2 million children of ages three to 59 months were administered with more than 6.3 million medicines distributed under the Kogi SMC project in 2023”, he said.
He equally pointed out that more than 28 million children were reached in Nigeria, representing 52% of the global coverage of 54 million children in 2023.
He pointed out that malaria prevalence had dropped by 16% in Kogi and 27% globally in 2023 compared with previous years.
Read also: Over 1,000 mosquito nets distributed in Lagos to fight malaria
“The drop in the malaria scourge can be attributed to the successful administration of Seasonal Malaria Chemotherapy drugs on children between the ages of three and 59 months across the Country and globally in 2023.
“SMC is a combination of two antimalarial drugs: Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine and Amodiaquine, given to eligible children of ages three to 59 months, only during the rainy season to prevent them from contracting malaria.
“The SMC project implementation began in Kogi in 2021 under the State Malaria Elimination Programme supported by Malaria Consortium, World Health Organisation and other partners”, he added.
