Jigawa Targets 1.4m Children as Malaria Accounts for 66% of Hospital Visits
Mirian Gom 
DUTSE, Nigeria – With malaria responsible for 66% of outpatient visits, the Jigawa State Government is targeting 1.4 million children under five in its 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign.
The intervention, scheduled between July and October, will combine preventive drug distribution, testing, and vector control measures across the state.
The campaign is set against a global backdrop of 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization, with Nigeria accounting for a significant proportion of infections.
State health officials on Tuesday say the scale of the campaign reflects the disproportionate burden on children, who remain the most vulnerable group.
The programme will deploy Rapid Diagnostic Test kits, Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs), and insecticide-treated nets, targeting both treatment and prevention.
Public health data indicate that reducing malaria incidence could significantly ease pressure on overstretched health facilities and cut child mortality rates.
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Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
Korede Abdullah 
