…as consortium expands child protection campaign

Jos – The Malaria Consortium has begun its 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign in Plateau State, aiming to reach 1,007,652 children aged 3 to 59 months across all 17 Local Government Areas.

Recall that SMC aims to reduce malaria burden and death among children under five, and to strengthen health systems at the local levels.

Dr Mashor Mbwas, the Consortium’s State Project Manager, disclosed this in Jos on Tuesday during a media engagement meant to boost public awareness and media support for the initiative.

He explained that the campaign, run in collaboration with the State government, protects young children during malaria’s peak transmission months, and cited WHO research showing SMC can prevent up to 75 per cent of cases among eligible children.

Running from June to October, the campaign will also include Social and Behaviour Change Communication efforts in Pankshin, Kanke and Langtang North to boost caregiver acceptance.

Mbwas noted steady gains since 2021, with malaria prevalence in the State falling from 21 per cent in 2018 to 2.8 per cent in 2025, alongside fewer hospital admissions and deaths.

He added that the programme has also supported local economies by engaging over 11,000 workers between March and December, and called on journalists to sustain balanced reporting to build community trust and cooperation.

Plateau Commissioner for Health, Dr Nicholas Baamlong, confirmed the sharp drop in prevalence, citing Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey data.

“Data from NMIS shows a dramatic and unprecedented decline in malaria prevalence from 18.8 per cent in 2021 (NMIS) to 2.8 per cent in 2025 (NMIS),” he said.

He noted that the State achieved full SMC coverage in 2024 and 2025, reaching about 1 million children monthly across more than 12,000 communities and 787 health facilities in all 325 wards.

SMEP Programme Manager, Kizito Ndak said the initiative targets children most vulnerable during the rainy season.

His words, “No child under five should die of malaria, the SMEP, in collaboration with the Malaria Consortium, had prioritised prevention with the deployment of 12,083 community drug distributors across the 325 wards in the State to administer the medication from house to house.”

Meanwhile, the engagement was to strengthen the collaboration with the media in driving SMC awareness, share the 2026 SMC plans and impacts, mobilise community support through accurate and wide-reaching reporting to promote acceptance of SMC intervention as well as highlight challenges and successes.