The Oyo State government, in collaboration with the Malaria Consortium, has unveiled the second phase of the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention Campaign (SMC).
The campaign aims to achieve zero malaria prevalence in children under five in the state. This information is contained in a statement by the coordinating director, Gideon Alade, on Saturday in Ibadan.
He stated that the program had been inaugurated in the Saki West Local Government Area of the state, with the goal of preventing malaria in children aged three to 59 months during the peak of the malaria season.
The permanent secretary of the Oyo State Ministry of Health, Olusoji Adeyanju, reiterated the commitment of the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration to significantly reduce malaria cases among children under five and pregnant women.
Mr. Adeyanju emphasized the importance of parents and guardians presenting their children to health workers for drug administration.
He explained that children within the age bracket were expected to take chemoprevention drugs monthly for five months.
The second round of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention distribution began on June 16, 2023, and will continue until Monday, June 19, 2023. Distribution will be carried out monthly for four days each month, with the drugs being repeated every 28 days from June to October 2023.
Mr. Adeyanju clarified that the present drugs, SPAQ, which will be distributed, are free and they do not cure malaria, but rather prevent it.
He emphasized the need for children to sleep under mosquito nets and for the environment to be free of mosquito breeding sites.
Mr. Adeyanju expressed appreciation for the healthcare providers implementing the process and the support of the Malaria Consortium Team.
He mentioned that the mass distribution of malaria preventive drugs in the state has significantly reduced malaria cases in children aged three to 59 months in Oyo State from 72 percent to 52 percent.
The implementation began last year with an overall coverage of 102 percent, reaching approximately 290,000 children.
However, Mr. Adeyanju requested the support of stakeholders in the concerned communities to ensure success in the implementation.
Earlier, Funmi Akinola, the wife of the chairman of Saki West Local Government, expressed the government’s readiness to provide all necessary support to the project.
The Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention will be administered in six local governments with the highest malaria burden, including Irepo, Olorunsogo, and Ogbomoso North.
