Nigeria will roll out Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC) for children under five in southern states, following successful pilot studies, to complement nets, medicines, and vaccines.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to introduce a new malaria prevention strategy for children under five in the southern region, following encouraging results from recent field studies.
The initiative, known as Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC), was unveiled by Dr. Nnena Ogbluafor, National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), during the National Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention Research and Policy Dissemination Meeting in Abuja.
Why PMC?
Dr. Ogbluafor explained that PMC is specifically designed for areas with year-round rainfall and continuous malaria transmission, conditions prevalent in southern Nigeria.
She added that PMC aligns with Nigeria’s child survival strategies and will complement existing tools such as insecticide-treated nets, antimalarial medicines, and the malaria vaccine.
Expert Perspectives
Prof. Olugbenga Mokuolu, Strategic Adviser on Malaria Elimination to the Minister of Health, emphasized that malaria cannot be eliminated with a single approach:
He noted that while Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) has been successfully implemented in 21 northern states, the southern region requires a different approach due to its year-round transmission pattern.
A pilot study has already confirmed the feasibility and logistics of PMC, and preparations are underway to scale up implementation across southern states.
State-Level Success
In Osun State, PMC has already been piloted in eight local government areas with positive results.
Dr. Akeem Bello, Director of Public Health in Osun State, reported:
Global Support
Representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Malaria Consortium reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Nigeria’s malaria elimination drive. They stressed the importance of sustained government leadership, strong partnerships, and community participation to ensure no child dies from malaria.
The Bigger Picture
Malaria remains one of the leading causes of child mortality in Nigeria. Experts believe that innovative measures like PMC, combined with existing interventions, could accelerate the country’s progress toward malaria eradication.
Prof. Mokuolu also underscored the role of personal responsibility:
