The Sokoto State Government, in partnership with an NGO, Sightsavers, has reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining efforts to improve healthcare delivery and reduce child mortality in the state.
The Commissioner for Health, Alhaji Faruku Wurno, gave the assurance on Saturday at the launch of the administration of the antibiotic drug ‘Azithromycin” to children in local government areas.
Wurno said that in the last round of three exercises, the state recorded more than 90 percent coverage, raising hopes of sustaining the gains achieved so far.
The programme operates under the Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin on Children in Nigeria (SARMAAN), designed to improve child survival outcomes through preventive treatment.
The antibiotic is commonly used to treat respiratory infections, diarrhoea and other childhood illnesses. Its administration aligns with the World Health Organisation’s 2022 guidelines on targeted preventive treatment for at-risk populations.
The commissioner said the project had successfully treated children with azithromycin, describing it as a milestone aimed at improving life expectancy.
Dr Salman Tijjani, the SARMAAN Programme Officer in Sokoto State, said the current round four exercise would be conducted from December 15 to 21 this year and solicited greater stakeholder commitment to ensure increased success.
He emphasised that the “SARMAAN Project aligned with global efforts to improve child survival in low- and middle-income countries, demonstrating the potential of bi-annual azithromycin administration in lowering early childhood mortality.”
He added that stakeholders had continued to monitor azithromycin’s safety and effectiveness in reducing antimicrobial resistance among treated children.
The Sightsavers Country Director, Joy Shu’aibu, explained that the programme targeted children aged zero to 59 months with azithromycin, particularly in communities battling neglected tropical diseases such as onchocerciasis and schistosomiasis, which cause significant mortality.
Shu’aibu highlighted Sightsavers’ presence in Sokoto since 1996, beginning with eye-care services that later led to the establishment and equipping of 19 healthcare centres providing consistent, community-based eye-care support.
She said that through the interventions, more doctors, nurses, community health workers and auxiliary staff had received specialised eye-care training, significantly strengthening the state’s capacity to deliver essential services to underserved populations.
Sightsavers, in collaboration with the Sokoto State Primary Health Care Development Agency, has mobilised 87 District Heads to support the administration of azithromycin to children and to strengthen community participation in statewide child-health intervention efforts.
NAN