The Oyo State Government, in collaboration with Malaria Consortium, has launched the second phase of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention Campaign (SMC).
The goal of the campaign is to achieve zero malaria prevalence in children under the age of five in the state.
This is contained in a statement signed and made available to newsmen by the Coordinating Director, Gideon Alade, in Ibadan on Saturday.
According to him, the programme has been inaugurated in Saki West Local Government Area of the state, targeting the prevention of malaria in children aged three to 59 months during the peak of malaria season.
The Permanent Secretary, Oyo State Ministry of Health, Dr Olusoji Adeyanju, reiterated Gov. Seyi Makinde led-administration’s commitment to significantly reduce malaria cases among children under five and pregnant women.
Adeyanju said it was essential for parents and guardians to present their children to health workers for drug administration.
He said that the children within the age bracket were expected to take chemoprevention drugs monthly for five months.
According to him, the State Government will continue strengthening routine healthcare services to improve the health of women and children, through the different Healthcare initiatives.
He said, “This initiative is in line with the global Malaria strategy which sets the target of reducing global malaria incidence and mortality rates by at least 90 per cent by year 2030.”
“The second round of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention distribution had commenced on June 16, 2023 and will last till Monday June 19, 2023.
Distribution will be carried out monthly for four days each month.
‘The drugs will be repeated after every 28 days from June to October 2023.
“The present drugs SPAQ that will be distributed are free and they do not cure malaria but they prevent Malaria. It doesn’t work alone; we have to ensure that our children also sleep inside the net. Our environment should be clean without mosquito breeding sites”
Adeyanju appreciated the health care providers implementing the process and the Malaria Consortium Team for their support .
Earlier, he said that the state government had received significant support from the Malaria Consortium, who implemented SMC.
He said the mass distribution of malaria preventive drugs in the state, had significantly reduced malaria cases in children between three to 59 months in Oyo state to 52 per cent from 72 per cent.
“The drugs have been provided in collaboration with Malaria Consultum, our implementing partners. They are also supporting flag-off across the other five LGAs presently.
“The implementation commenced last year with an overall coverage of 102 per cent in which about 290,000 children were reached.
He however sought for the support of stakeholders in concerned communities to ensure successes in the implementation.
Earlier, the wife of the Chairman, Saki West Local Government, Mrs Funmi Akinola, expressed the readiness of the government to continually give the project all the necessary support.
The Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention will be administered in six local governments with the highest malaria burden, which includes Irepo, Olorunsogo and Ogbomoso North.
Others are Saki East, Saki West and Surulere local government areas of Oyo State.
