Ilorin: The Kwara Government has announced a target of administering Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) to no fewer than 700,000 children across the state. Commissioner for Health, Dr. Aminat El-Imam, revealed this initiative during the launch of the 2025 SMC campaign at the Children’s Specialist Hospital in Ilorin.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the campaign aims to administer drugs to children aged three to 59 months across 11 local government areas. This effort is part of the state’s strategy to combat malaria, in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme of the Federal Government and support from the Global Fund, following the payment of a counterpart fund.
Dr. El-Imam emphasized that malaria poses significant public health challenges, especially affecting children under five and pregnant women, which impacts families and the healthcare system. The state is focusing on innovative partnerships to reduce the burden of malaria through the SMC, a proven intervention aimed at protecting vulnerable children during peak transmission seasons.
The health commissioner highlighted the importance of community involvement, urging leaders, parents, and caregivers to support the initiative by ensuring children receive their treatments on time. The success of the campaign depends on the active participation and acceptance of the community.
Dr. El-Imam also appealed to mothers and caregivers to maintain environmental cleanliness and adopt preventive measures, including the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets. She stressed the necessity of environmental sanitation to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and advocated for prompt healthcare when symptoms of malaria arise.
