1.2 million Kogi children received malaria drugs in 2023 – SMC

No fewer than 1.2 million children aged three to 59 months were administered the Seasonal Malaria Chemotherapy (SMC) drugs in Kogi in 2023.

The State Project Manager, Malaria Consortium, Kenneth Maduka, disclosed this at “SMC 2024 Media parley” organized by the organisation in collaboration with the Kogi State Ministry of Health, on Friday in Lokoja.

According to him, SMC is a combination of two antimalarial drugs: Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine and Amodiaquine (SPAQ), given to eligible children aged three to 59 months, during the rainy season to prevent malaria.

Maduka said that malaria prevalence has dropped to 16 per cent in Kogi, 22 per cent in Nigeria, and 27 per cent globally in 2023, compared to what they were in 2021.

He noted that the SMC project implementation began in Kogi in 2021 under the State Malaria Elimination Programme (SMEP) supported by the Malaria Consortium, World Health Organisation (WHO), and other partners.

Maduka disclosed that an average of 1.2 million children were reached, and over 6.3 million medicines were distributed under the Kogi State SMC project in 2023.

He added that over 28 million children were reached in Nigeria, representing 52 per cent of the global coverage of 54 million children in 2023.

“Our target for SMC implementation in 2024 in Kogi is 1, 184, 652, which we have already exceeded in June and July cycles,” Maduka said.

“We intend to increase the figure during the August and September cycles of SMC implementation across the state.”

He stressed that death from malaria occurred in 60 to 70 per cent in children of 3 to 59 months, especially during raining season hence the focus on the age bracket.

Maduka commended the Kogi State Government for fully supporting the SMC programme to achieve appreciable success.

Also speaking, Orimodu Matthew, Director, Health Educator Advocacy, Kogi SMEP, said the parley was to interact with the media to help increase awareness for advocacy and behavioral change towards SMC implementation in Kogi.

“We want the media to help to promote the SMC campaign and activities, for people to have behavioural change, correct wrong notion about malaria, and educate them to take the required free SMC drugs,” Matthew said.

“Media should help to ensure patient engagement and encouraging the individual to take active roles in their own healthcare program.”

He, however, called for adequate funding and resource mobilisation, stressing that SMC required significant funding for drug procurement, distribution, and personnel recruitment, among others.

He stressed the need to urgently bridge the gaps in healthcare personnel for the effective implementation of the SMC project in Kogi.

Earlier, the State Program Manager of SMEP, Dr Stephen Ake, said a total 14,255 personnel engaged under the SMC project in 747 Health facilities in 239 Wards across the state.

According to him, the personnel include 1,871 Health Facility workers (HFWs); 9,112 community drug distributors (CDDs); and 21 State Supervisors.

Others are 1,158 Lead Mothers (LMs); 1,158 Town Announcers (TAs): and 105 LGA Team.

Ake noted that the state also was reaching out to adults on malaria prevention through the IMPACT Project.