Dutse: The Jigawa Government has announced its plan to target at least 1.4 million children with anti-malarial drugs in the 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign across the state. The campaign is part of the state’s efforts to combat malaria, a significant health challenge in the region.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the state’s Malaria Control Programme Officer, Malam Bilya Haruna, highlighted the alarming figures from the 2025 World Malaria Report during an interview on Tuesday. The report estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths globally, with Nigeria alone accounting for 27 percent of cases and 31 percent of deaths. Specifically, Nigeria recorded 24.47 million malaria cases, and 66 percent of outpatient hospital attendance in Jigawa was linked to malaria infections.
The 2026 SMC campaign, scheduled to run from July to October, aims to prevent malaria infections in children under five years of age within Jigawa. The initiative will not only provide anti-malarial drugs but will also include distributing free testing and treatment drugs across 610 health facilities. Furthermore, preventive interventions will be offered to vulnerable groups.
The campaign plans to distribute free insecticide-treated mosquito nets to pregnant women during antenatal care visits and to children under five during immunisation sessions, as part of its comprehensive approach to malaria prevention.