The Federal Government has announced plans to introduce a new malaria prevention strategy called Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC) for children under five in southern Nigeria.
This decision follows encouraging results from recent field studies. According to Dr. Nnena Ogbluafor, National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), PMC is tailored for areas with year-round rainfall and continuous malaria transmission, particularly in the southern region.
The intervention involves providing preventive doses of anti-malaria medicine to children at regular intervals. Dr. Akeem Bello, Director of Public Health in Osun State, reported that PMC has already shown positive results in eight local government areas where it is being piloted. “The essence of PMC is to protect under-five children by providing preventive doses at regular intervals. We have seen significant gains and are now working with partners to extend the programme across all local governments in Osun State,” he said.
The PMC initiative is designed to complement existing malaria prevention tools, such as insecticide-treated nets, antimalarial medicines, and the recently introduced malaria vaccine. Dr. Ogbluafor emphasized that the findings align with Nigeria’s child survival strategies and will help reduce malaria cases and severity among children. “From what we have seen in the field, this intervention is highly favorable. Evidence shows that children who take it as recommended are significantly protected from malaria,” she said.
The government plans to scale up implementation across southern states, following successful pilot studies. Strategic Adviser on Malaria Elimination to the Minister of Health, Prof. Olugbenga Mokuolu, stressed that malaria cannot be eliminated with a single approach. “Our strategies must address both the mosquito, which is the vector, and the disease itself. This means combining vector control with drug-based prevention,” he explained.
The Malaria Consortium, an international non-profit organization, has expressed optimism that PMC will significantly complement Nigeria’s malaria control strategies. According to Dr. Chinazo Ujuju, Senior Project Manager of Malaria Consortium, the pilot programme carried out in Osun State has shown highly promising results, demonstrating the intervention’s effectiveness and feasibility for nationwide adoption. “PMC can lead to up to 43% reduction in severe malaria cases,” she added.
The new intervention is expected to save thousands of young lives and move the country closer to the goal of malaria elimination. With malaria remaining a leading cause of preventable child deaths in Nigeria, health authorities hope the new program will serve as a model for other regions in Nigeria and across Africa.