FCTA FLAGS OFF 2026 SMC CAMPAIGN -TARGETS OVER ONE MILLION CHILDREN.

‎By: Khadijat Kawunda

‎ The Mandate Secretary of FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES) Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, on Monday 8th June officially flagged off the 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign in Durumi a suburb community in FCT.

‎Speaking at the event, Dr. Fasawe said that, the flag off ceremony demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the FCT Administration in creating an enabling environment for critical healthcare initiatives to improve and save lives.

‎She emphasized the urgency of the intervention saying that ” it is driven by Nigeria’s heavy malaria burden which accounts for approximately 27% of global malaria cases and nearly 30% of global malaria deaths, with children under five making up the majority of fatalities during the peak rainy season”.

‎The Mandate Secretary noted that “SMC has been proven to efficiently prevent malaria in children by providing monthly courses of Sulfadoxine Pyrimethamine + Amodiaquine (SPAQ) to healthy children aged 3 to 59 months, protecting them when transmission risks are highest, especially during the rainy season,” she said.

‎Furthermore, Dr. Fasawe mentioned that, since the introduction of SMC in FCT in 2022, a remarkable improvement of 58% reduction in malaria prevalence has been recorded, with local infection rates falling from 18.8% in 2021 to 7.9% in 2025.

‎To consolidate these gains, the Mandate Secretary announced that the Malaria Consortium will also support the FCT with a mass distribution of insecticide-treated nets this year, seamlessly complementing the chemoprevention effort.

‎Dr. Fasawe appealed directly to parents and caregivers particularly those residing in gated estates to grant access and ensure that children complete the full three-day treatment each month for full compliance which drastically reduces hospital visits, saves family resources, and ultimately save lives.

‎Again, the Mandate Secretary commended stakeholders; the Public Health Department, the FCT Malaria Elimination Programme Unit, Malaria Consortium and the Primary Health Care Board for their collective efforts and collaborations in advancing health outcomes across the Territory.

‎Earlier, the Director of the West and Central Africa Programme of Malaria Consortium, Dr. Kolawole Maxwell, who was represented by Technical Specialist for Philanthropic Funding Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (PF-SMC), Dr. Jennifer Chukwumerije, commended the FCT Administration and the Mandate Secretary for their unrelenting fight against malaria.

‎Dr. Maxwell stated that, the WHO-recommended intervention supported by philanthropic funding and the Global Fund, places nearly one million of its global beneficiaries within the FCT due to issues of climate change and funding constraints which he described as “critical risks requiring ongoing vigilance”.

‎Expressing appreciation, the District Head of Durumi, Tanko Danladi, commended the FCTA and implementing partners (Malaria Consortium) for flagging off the 2026 round, “a lifesaving initiative that will drastically protect vulnerable children across his community from the deadly disease,” he noted.

‎The 2026 campaign will run across all six Area Councils, targeting 1,015,240 eligible children in five monthly cycles from June to October 2026. Trained Community Drug Distributors (CDDs) are scheduled to begin door-to-door administration on Thursday, the 11th of June, and it’s completely free of charge.