Jutha Gupah, Damaturu
The World Health Organisation (WHO); has supported Yobe state government by adopting Seasonal Malaria Chemo-prevention (SMC) for children between the ages of three and 59 months. According to the Global health agency, administer of Chemo-prevention exercise; targets children vulnerable to malaria; and likely to die from infections. WHO’s Emergency Manager in Northeast, Dr. Collins Owili; disclosed this Wednesday in Damaturu, at the presentation of anti-malaria medicines and training materials to Yobe State Primary Healthcare Management Board. “Children’s growth and development are mostly affected by repeated attacks of malaria and the development of anemia,” he said. Continuing, he added: “The objective of giving SMC medicines was to maintain an adequate level of anti-malarial medicine concentrations in the blood. “This will kill the malaria parasite during the period of high malaria transmission.” He explained that intervention should be done in a combination with other malaria prevention methods, especially sleeping inside Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLIN) every night. He said SMC would prevent approximately 75% of all malaria episodes, decrease child mortality of around one in 1,000. Chemoprevention, according to him; reduces the incidence of severe anemias and hospital admissions associated with malaria parasitaemia. He added that it also provides personal protection against clinical malaria for a period approximately 35 days following the administration of each dose. Executive Secretary, of health management board, Dr. Muhammed Gana, commended WHO for the donation of medicines and training materials for the SMC implementation in the state. Gana, who was represented by Dr. Umar Chiroma, said that agency’s support and intervention would go a long way in assisting the state in the health scheme. He said henceforth, the exercise would be officially inaugurated from July 24-28, 2019 targeting Tarmuwa and Yusufari Local Government Areas.
