The Jigawa Government says it plans to distribute malaria drugs to no fewer than 1.3 million children in the state.
Malam Bilya Haruna, the Coordinator of Malaria Control Programme in the state, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Dutse on Monday.
He said that the state government would be collaborating with a Non-Governmental Organisation, Malaria Consortium, to distribute the drugs.
He said that children under the age of five years from across the state would benefit from it.
He said that the gesture was to prevent and eliminate the prevalence of the disease among children in the state.
“The state, in collaboration with Malaria Consortium, is planning to distribute Sulphadoxine Prymethamine and Amodiaquine (SPAQ) to over 1.3 million children as prevention for malaria,” he said.
Haruna also said that the government would be providing free malaria services in 465 health facilities in the state through the Global Fund Support programme.
“The services will include routine Long-lasting Insecticidal Treated Nets (LLINs) that will be distributed to pregnant women and fully immunised children, malaria testing using Rapid Diagnostic Text (RDT) and Microscopy.
“It will also be giving ACT to confirmed uncomplicated malaria, as well as giving Sulphadoxine Prymethamine (SP) to pregnant women for the prevention of malaria.
“Also, the state in collaboration with Society for Family Health (SHF) will conduct house-to-house sensitisation on the prevention and treatment of malaria in 13 local government areas in the state,’’ he said.
He advised residents of the state to always keep their environments clean and free of stagnant water.
He said this would help to eliminate contact with the vector that is responsible for carrying the malaria parasite. (NAN)
