By DANJUMA JOSEPH, Lafia –
A total of 977, 950 children from Nasarawa State, are expected to benefit from Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine, popularly known as Fansidar, or Amalar, Maldox; and Amodiaquine drugs for prevention of malaria.
Dr (Mrs) Janet Angbazo, Permanent Secretary (PS), Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, made the disclosure at a media parley on Friday in Lafia the state capital.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the media parley was to mark the commencement of the Seasonal Malaria Chemo prevention targeted at children between ages three-to-59-months.
She added that this is the third year that the children are benefiting from the intervention by the state government supported by Malaria Consortium (MC).
Dr Angbazo, explained that MC is one of the largest international non-profit organizations working towards the elimination of malaria and other infectious diseases in Africa, Asia and the Americas.
“This global intervention is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a preventive strategy for the elimination of Malaria, particularly amongst children between the ages of three months to 59 months,” she added.
She further explained that the burden of malaria had reduced from 30 per cent to 15 per cent in the state since this intervention started in 2021-to-date.
Dr Angbazo, commended Gov. Abdullahi Sule, for his continued support to the ministry and for given topmost priority to provision of a better and accessible healthcare services to the people in the last four years.
The Permanent Secretary, who on behalf of the government and the people of the state lauded Malaria Consortium for the tremendous, life-changing support in the last 3-years, further said that the preventive measure is seasonal because this is the peak of malaria transmission which is is in the rainy season.
She further disclosed that the ministry is deploying 11, 240 adhoc staff to administer the drugs to eligible children in every household across the 13 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
“The staff had been trained already and are categorized to those going from house-to-house to deliver the drugs known as the Community Drug Distributors (CDD), the Town Announcers, the Lead Mothers, the Supervisors, and the Health Facility Workers.
“The drugs will be distributed every month for a period of five months, from the month of June to October,” she added.
On her part, Hafsat Musa Baba, the State Program Manager said in 2022, the target was 816, 532, while in 2023 the target is 978,950, while the Cost of each SPAQ Blister is $0.25 Cents.
She further disclosed that the Malaria Consortium, is one of the largest international non-profit organizations focused on eliminating malaria and other infectious diseases, that has been supporting the SMC intervention in Nasarawa State for the past three years.
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