By Abubakar Baba Ahmad
The Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Malaria, BACATMA, with support from the Malaria Consortium has organised a one-day Media Parley on the 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention, SMC Implementation.
Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention SMC, is a community-based intervention to prevent malaria infections in areas where malaria morbidity and mortality are high, and where malaria transmission is seasonal.
The meeting which drew participants from various print and electronic media organisations is aimed at sensitising the public on the misconceptions regarding the use of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine + amodia quinn SPAQ for under five children during peak malaria transmission seasons.
Speaking at the Meeting, the Executive Chairman BACATMA, Dr Adamu Sambo who said malaria constitutes sixty percent of health related cases in Outpatient and Antenatal departments, stressed the need for the media to champion the cause of wider sensitisation to eliminate the epidemic.
Dr Sambo emphasised the need for behaviour change among communities especially as it relates the environmental sanitation particularly in the areas of drainage and gutter evacuation, insecticidal spray, distillation of soak aways, and dumping of waste at designated points.
“Demands for resources would continue to regularise the implementation of this first exit which is basically the major reason why all of us are here to look at it, to discuss and to be aware and to enlighten the public on this opportunity”, the Executive Chairman said.
The Social and Behaviour Change Communication Consultant SBCC Malaria Consortium Bauchi, Malam Munir Mustapha said the meeting is aimed at examining SMC interventions in the state, seeks to engage the media on ways to educate the populace on certain misconceptions regarding the dosage, malaria prevention and benefits of the drugs to under-five children.
“Implementation of SMC is not only about having medicines available, it is also about ensuring that caregivers understand the intervention, trust the information they receive and are willing to allow eligible children to receive and complete the required doses. Communication is very important, the Media is one of the most powerful partners we have in creating awareness, shaping public understanding and responding to concerns within communities”, the SBCC Consultant noted.
In a remark, the State Programme Manager Malaria Consortium Dr Nuhu Saleh said about ten billion naira is expended annually to support over 2 million under 5 children between 3 to 59 months, where primary healthcare centres PHCCs and distributors are utilised to ensure door-to-door delivery of the medication.
” The SMC drug or SPAQ that we are giving takes like twenty eight days protecting the child from getting malaria, or even if the child gets Malaria, but if he has that therapeutic concentration in their system, we don’t expect that malaria to get to a severe malaria that we are fighting”, SPM Malaria Consortium highlighted.
On his part, the Director Malaria Control BACATMA, Muhammad Bello who acknowledged the drop in malaria prevalence in the state from 32 to 17.8 percent in 2025, noted that only 403 PHCCs out of the over one thousand three hundred enjoy the SMC support.
While stating that there is still low uptake of malaria vaccine in the state, the Director Malaria Control advocated for more support from stakeholders and other partners to eliminate the disease.
In their separate responses, the Heads of various Media organisations in the state pledged commitment to sensitising the public on the effect of Malaria and the need to ensure uptake of the SMC as directed for a healthy populace.