The Adamawa government, in collaboration with Malaria Consortium, has unveiled plans to roll out a mass drug administration programme using Azithromycin to prevent killer diseases across the state.

The programme is targeting no fewer than 1.1 million children.

Benjamin Gubi, programme manager, Adamawa Malaria Elimination Programme, disclosed this on Saturday in Yola at a media parley on the State Training of Trainers for the Azithromycin MDA.

Mr Gubi explained that Azithromycin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic long used in Nigeria, treats and prevents infections such as pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria-related illnesses, the three major causes of under-five mortality in the country.

The event focused on promoting community awareness, partnership, and the media’s role in ensuring the exercise’s success.

“The initiative, which targets children aged one month to 59 months, aims to significantly reduce child deaths caused by pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria. The exercise will cover all 21 Local Government Areas, 226 wards, and communities across the state through a house-to-house approach using existing state health structures.

“About 1,500 trained health workers and over 6,500 community volunteers will be engaged for the four-day exercise scheduled for Nov. 21 to 25,” he said.

Mr Gubi noted that the intervention’s goal was to reduce under-five mortality and improve child health outcomes by preventing common infections responsible for high child death rates.

He said the programme had earlier been piloted in six states since 2021, saying, “It is now being scaled up to 11 states nationwide, with Nigeria recording minimal side effects during previous rounds.”

Abubakar Isa, an official of the Malaria Consortium, said the initiative was supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, and other development partners. He said the programme aligns with the state’s Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention strategy, adding that it would use syrup formulations for easy administration to children at the household level.

Lucky Daniel, Adamawa coordinator, Neglected Tropical Diseases, said the project was known as SARMANA 2 (Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin in Children in Nigeria).

While emphasising the importance of media engagement in creating awareness, promoting acceptance, and enhancing visibility for the programme, Daniel said that community participation remained key to its success.

The coordinator added that the campaign would include monitoring antimicrobial resistance trends to ensure children do not develop resistance to the drug.

Mr Daniel insisted that the project belongs to the government and people of Adamawa, while partners provide technical and logistical support to ensure effective implementation and improved child health outcomes.

The community-based child survival initiative is jointly implemented by the Malaria Consortium and the Adamawa Ministry of Health. Others include the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, which is overseen by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.

(NAN)