Abah Felicity 
KANO, Nigeria – The Kano State Government has suspended all activities under its Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) programme and launched a high-level investigation into the implementation of the intervention across the state.
The government also suspended the programme manager with immediate effect and reassigned programme oversight to the most senior officer pending the outcome of the investigation.
The decision was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Ministry of Health, Nabilusi Abubakar.
According to the ministry, the suspension followed the inauguration of a high-level committee tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the programme’s planning, medicine distribution, documentation and overall implementation.
“The suspension takes immediate effect and is intended to facilitate a thorough investigation into the programme’s operations, documentation, personnel records and all related implementation activities,” the statement said.
The ministry added that all field operations, medicine distribution and community mobilisation activities under the programme have been halted pending the outcome of the review.
The investigative committee is chaired by the Director-General of the Kano State AIDS Control Agency, Dr Usman Bashir, and includes heads of key health institutions such as the State Primary Healthcare Management Board, the Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency, the Hospitals Management Board and the Kano Centre for Disease Control.
The ministry also directed the programme’s Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, implementing partners and other stakeholders to submit approved work plans, distribution records, beneficiary lists and other relevant documents for verification.
According to the government, the exercise is intended to strengthen transparency, accountability and service delivery rather than disrupt malaria prevention efforts.
About the Author
Korede Abdullah 
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 