Malaria Prevention exercise: Kano targets 12 million children

The Kano State Government says it is targeting 12 million children below the age of five years for the July to October round of the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention exercise in 44 local government areas of the state.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Aminu Tsanyawa, made this known at a news conference in Kano.

He said that the exercise would be conducted on a house to house basis to ensure coverage.

Tsanyawa stressed that the four days exercise would be conducted alongside the annual Maternal New born and Child Health Week.

He said the aim was to prevent complicated and severe malaria incidences among the age group.

He also said that, the MNCHW conducted twice every year is a high impact low cost intervention offered to pregnant women and children below the age of five, to increase coverage level of preventive and curative health indicators.

He highlighted that the previous exercise conducted in January 2022 recorded huge success, with Vitamin A covering more than 88 percent.

Tsanyawa expressed optimism that the current round of the exercise would also achieve greater impact, considering the government’s increased support.

He said Vitamin A supplements would be given to more than 3.1 million children, while over 2.8 million children would be dewormed.

The Commissioner also said there would be childhood immunisation of about 68,135 children, while antenatal services would also be provided.

Furthermore, the exercise would provide nutritional status screening for over three million children and birth registration would also be conducted.

The twin exercise would begin on July 5 and would last for four days.

Temitope/NAN