Plateau State Malaria Elimination Programme (SME-P), in partnership with Malaria Consortium (MC), say 950,000 children have benefited from the 2024 first circle free seasonal malaria chemoprevention (drug/ prophylaxis) programme.
The Manager of the Plateau Malaria Elimination Programme, Mr Ndak Zuhumnan made this known at the end of the first circle of the 2024 free Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention on Thursday in Jos.
Zuhumnan said prophylaxis is the treatment given or action taken to prevent disease, noting that the prophylaxis was administered to children under five in the Jos-Bukuru metropolis and across the 17 local government areas of the state.
He said that the intervention was part of the state government’s efforts to eradicate the disease by 2030, having received 4,775,073 doses of malaria prophylaxis.
He announced that the second circle of administration would take place between July 25 to 28.
According to him, the second circle is to ensure that those children, who weren’t administered the prophylaxis in the first circle would be administered the medication.
He said 12,000, ad hoc staff were trained to administer the prophylaxis in 10,988 communities, including hard-to-reach settlements.
“The prevention helps maintain therapeutic blood levels of antimalarial through the peak transmission period of the disease (rainy season from June to October).
He, therefore, urged parents, guardians and caregivers to avail their children and wards of the medication.
