The Adamawa State Government, in collaboration with the Malaria Consortium, has unveiled plans to launch a mass drug administration (MDA) programme using Azithromycin to prevent childhood killer diseases across the state.
The initiative, which targets no fewer than 1.1 million children, aims to significantly reduce deaths caused by pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria-related illnesses — the three major causes of under-five mortality in Nigeria.
Mr. Benjamin Gubi, Programme Manager of the Adamawa Malaria Elimination Programme, disclosed this on Saturday in Yola during a media parley on the State Training of Trainers (SToT) for the Azithromycin MDA.
Gubi explained that Azithromycin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic widely used in Nigeria, helps to treat and prevent infections such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria-related conditions.
The event, themed “Strengthening Communication and Collaboration for Effective Azithromycin MDA,” focused on promoting community awareness, partnership, and the role of the media in ensuring the success of the exercise.
According to Gubi, the four-day exercise — scheduled to hold from November 21 to 25 — will be conducted across all 21 Local Government Areas, 226 wards, and communities in the state through a house-to-house approach using existing health structures.
He added that about 1,500 trained health workers and over 6,500 community volunteers will participate in the exercise.
“The goal of this intervention is to reduce under-five mortality and improve child health outcomes by preventing common infections responsible for high child death rates,” Gubi said.
He noted that the programme had earlier been piloted in six states since 2021 and is now being scaled up to 11 states nationwide, with Nigeria recording minimal side effects during previous rounds.
Also speaking, Mr. Abubakar Isa, an official of the Malaria Consortium, said the initiative is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, and other development partners.
Isa explained that the programme aligns with the state’s Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) strategy and would employ syrup formulations for easy administration to children at the household level.
Dr. Lucky Daniel, Adamawa Coordinator for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), said the project, known as SARMANA 2 (Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin in Children in Nigeria), will also include monitoring antimicrobial resistance trends to ensure that children do not develop resistance to the drug.
Daniel emphasized the importance of media engagement in creating awareness, promoting acceptance, and enhancing visibility for the programme, adding that community participation remains key to its success.
“This project belongs to the government and people of Adamawa, while partners provide technical and logistical support to ensure effective implementation and improved child health outcomes,” he stated.
The community-based child survival initiative is jointly implemented by the Malaria Consortium and the Adamawa State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), with oversight from the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
