1.2 million Kogi children receive SMC drugs in 2023 — Malaria consortium

The Kogi State Project Manager, Malaria Consortium, Kenneth Maduka has said that no fewer than 1.2 million children of age 3 to 59 months were administered with the Seasonal Malaria Chemotherapy (SMC) drugs in Kogi in 2023.

He disclosed this at ‘SMC 2024 Media parley’ organised by the organisation in collaboration with Kogi State Ministry of Health, on Friday in Lokoja.

According to him, SMC is a combination of two antimalarial drugs: Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine and Amiodiaquine (SPAQ), given to eligible children of age 3 to 59 months, during the raining season to prevent malaria.

He 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 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 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.

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

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 program which resulted to appreciabke success.

Also speaking, Director, Health Educator Advocacy, Kogi SMEP, Orimodu Matthew, said the perley 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 behavioral change, correct wrong notion about malaria, and educate them to take the required free SMC drugs.

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

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 that 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 also reaching out to the adult people on malaria prevention through the IMPACT Project.

ALSO READ THESE TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE 

• #EndBadGovernance: Organisers plan one-million-man protest in 36 states, FCT Saturday