The World Health Organisation has flagged off the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) programme in Adamawa State. The exercise aims to reduce malaria in pregnant women and children between the age of three and fifty nine months.
Correspondent Owolabi Adenusi reports that WHO consultant for the Northeast, Nglass Ini Abasi revealed that malaria is the deadliest disease in the region with 65 percent of the population suffering with malaria-related illnesses.
She blamed the sorry situation on the reduction in health care service delivery in the state due to the vandalization of health facilities by Boko Haram dissidents.
Abasi also notes that 1.5 million children in Borno State have already been administered with the drugs, while another 117,000 would be administered in Michika, Mubi North and Mubi South local councils in Adamawa state.
Commissioner of Health, Fatima Atiku Abubakar commends the WHO for supporting the state in its fight against Malaria.
WHO personnel is employing the house-to-house strategy to ensure all children within the mapped age range benefit from the scheme.
