The Plateau State Government says it has made notable progress in reducing malaria cases, particularly among children under five years old.
According to a report by Mediaplusng.com, the state’s Commissioner for Health, Dr. Nicholas Bamlong, revealed during a stakeholders’ engagement in Jos that malaria prevalence has dropped from 21 percent in previous years to about 15 percent in the most recent health review.
Dr. Bamlong attributed this progress to the Seasonal Malaria Chemo-Prevention (SMC) program, which provides preventive medication to children aged three months to 59 months during the peak of the rainy season when malaria cases are usually high.
In a statement quoted by Mediaplusng.com, the Program Manager for the Plateau State Malaria Eradication Programme, Kizito Ndak, explained that the campaign is targeting over 963,000 children across the 17 local government areas. He added that more than 12,000 personnel, including 7,000 community drug distributors and 1,000 town announcers, have been deployed to ensure every child at risk is reached.
Authorities also reassured residents about the safety of the medication used in the campaign, noting that the drugs have been tested and certified by the World Health Organization (WHO) and Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).
