The Adamawa State Government has flagged off the 2025 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign aimed at reaching over 1.2 million children under the age of five across its 21 local government areas.
Deputy Governor Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, represented by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Edgar Amos, launched the campaign on Friday in Yola.
She emphasized that malaria remains a major public health threat, particularly for children under five, and described the campaign as a strong demonstration of the government’s commitment to child and community health.
The SMC initiative involves administering safe and effective antimalarial drugs—Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine plus Amodiaquine (SPAQ)—to children aged 3 to 59 months every month during the four-month peak malaria transmission season.
Farauta reaffirmed the government’s resolve to strengthen both preventive and curative healthcare by continuing to offer free malaria treatment to vulnerable groups, improving primary healthcare facilities, and enhancing disease surveillance.
She also acknowledged the support of partners such as Malaria Consortium, WHO, UNICEF, the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), and other donor agencies for their consistent contributions to the fight against malaria.
The State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Chief Felix Tangwami, noted that Nigeria accounts for about 27% of global malaria deaths, adding that Adamawa’s ecological makeup contributes to high malaria transmission during the rainy season.
He said the SMC strategy, when properly implemented, can reduce malaria cases by up to 75%.
Tangwami revealed that malaria commodities worth over ₦4.8 billion have been procured for this year’s campaign, and more than 6,000 trained health workers and community distributors have been mobilized to deliver the medications door-to-door, including to hard-to-reach areas.
He also highlighted the success of previous interventions, including the distribution of over 3 million long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs).
Representatives of partner organizations—including Chidimka Okolo of Catholic Relief Services, Prof. Mahmud Kumo of Society for Family Health, and Ben Alisa of NMEP—commended the state’s leadership in malaria control and called for collective efforts to sustain the fight.
The campaign is expected to significantly reduce malaria-related illnesses and deaths among children in the state.
