FCTA targets 1m children in malaria prevention campaign

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has launched its 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign, targeting 1,015,240 children under the age of five across the six area councils of the FCT. The campaign, flagged off in Durumi, will run in five monthly cycles between June and October, with trained Community Drug Distributors (CDDs) scheduled to […]

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has launched its 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign, targeting 1,015,240 children under the age of five across the six area councils of the FCT.

The campaign, flagged off in Durumi, will run in five monthly cycles between June and October, with trained Community Drug Distributors (CDDs) scheduled to begin free door-to-door administration of anti-malaria drugs from June 11.

Speaking at the launch, the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, said the initiative underscores the administration’s commitment to reducing malaria-related illnesses and deaths among children.

She explained that the intervention targets children aged between three and 59 months, who are among the most vulnerable to malaria, particularly during the rainy season when transmission rates are highest.

According to her, the programme involves the monthly administration of Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine plus Amodiaquine (SPAQ), a World Health Organisation-recommended treatment proven to prevent malaria among children living in high-risk areas.

Dr Fasawe noted that Nigeria continues to bear a significant malaria burden, accounting for about 27 per cent of global malaria cases and nearly 30 per cent of malaria-related deaths, with children under five accounting for the majority of fatalities.

She said the FCT has recorded significant progress since the introduction of the SMC programme in 2022, with malaria prevalence dropping by 58 per cent. Infection rates, she added, declined from 18.8 per cent in 2021 to 7.9 per cent in 2025.

To sustain these gains, Dr Fasawe disclosed that the Malaria Consortium would support the territory with a mass distribution of insecticide-treated nets to complement the chemoprevention exercise.

She urged parents and caregivers, especially those living in gated estates, to grant health workers access to eligible children and ensure they complete the full three-day treatment cycle each month.

“Full compliance will drastically reduce hospital visits, save family resources and ultimately save lives,” she said.

Earlier, the Director of the West and Central Africa Programme of the Malaria Consortium, Dr Kolawole Maxwell, represented by Dr Jennifer Chukwumerije, commended the FCT Administration for its sustained efforts in combating malaria.

He noted that nearly one million beneficiaries of the organisation’s global malaria intervention programme are located in the FCT and stressed the need for continued vigilance amid challenges posed by climate change and funding constraints.

Also speaking, the District Head of Durumi, Tanko Danladi, described the initiative as a lifesaving intervention that would protect thousands of vulnerable children from malaria.

The campaign is being implemented by the FCT Malaria Elimination Programme Unit, the Primary Health Care Board and the Malaria Consortium as part of broader efforts to improve child health outcomes and reduce malaria-related deaths in the territory.