Bauchi Govt targets 1.5m children for malaria treatment – Official

Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Leprosy and Tuberculosis (BACATMA), says it has targeted 1.5 million children for the 2021 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign.

Mr Umar Babuga, Director, Malaria control in the agency, stated this in an interview with newsmen on Thursday in Bauchi.

Babuga said the agency would conduct house-to-house exercise aimed at curbing malaria in the state.

According to him, the exercise will be conducted within four months between July and October across the 20 Local Government Areas of the state.

Babaga said that similar exercise was ealier conducted in 2020 across 10 LGAs in the state.

He said the agency had engaged over 15,000 adhoc staff otherwise called Community Drugs Distributors (CDD) and other health personnel to facilitate smooth conduct of the exercise.

“Over 1.5 million children will receive Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine (SP) and Amodiaquine (SPAQ) in three different doses from July to October 2021.

“However, SPAQ will not be administer on sick child until the child is tested to confirm the type of the sickness.

“Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine (SP) and Amodiaquine (AQ) drugs are to be administer by the CDD on the first day while on the second and third day Amodiaquine (AQ) will be administer by caregivers.

“The exercise is targeting children between ages 3 and 59 months,” he said.

The director said the SMC exercise was being implemented in the state with the support of the Malaria Consortium.

Malaria Consortium is one of the leading international organisation specialising in the prevention, control and treatment of malaria and other communicable diseases among vulnerable people.