‘Malaria Cases Have Dropped In Bauchi’

The executive chairman of the Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (BACATMA), Dr. Adamu Umar Sambo, has revealed that malaria cases in the state have dropped from 70 per cent to about 20 per cent.

Sambo disclosed this while speaking with journalists in his office yesterday, attributing the milestone to Governor Bala Mohammed’s sustained investment in healthcare since assuming office nearly six years ago.

According to him, the agency has leveraged the Governor Bala commitment to healthcare delivery to intensify the fight against malaria through the implementation of the Seasonal Malaria Chemotherapy (SMC) programme.

He explained that SMC is a preventive strategy targeted at children under five, involving the administration of anti-malarial drugs during the peak transmission period, usually the rainy season.

“When it comes to malaria prevention, the SMC programme, which concluded this month, has been ongoing for over five years since the coming of His Excellency,” Dr. Sambo stated.

He recalled that over 22,000 ad hoc workers were engaged for five months to distribute anti-malarial drugs to under 5 children, a move that significantly reduced malaria prevalence among the age group from over 70 percent to less than 20 percent.

The BACATMA boss revealed that the programme targeted about two million children and achieved a 97 percent coverage rate.

He described the initiative as capital intensive, noting that the exercise runs from June to October with at least four active days of distribution and two days of mop-up monitoring to ensure statewide coverage.

Dr. Sambo further disclosed that the state government has procured about five million insecticide-treated mosquito nets for distribution to households in 2026 as part of the next phase of malaria prevention.

“The distribution is usually done every four years, but His Excellency directed that we cannot wait that long. The last distribution was in 2023, and the next will be in 2026, a three-year gap to ensure continuous protection for our citizens,” he explained.

He also noted that malaria test kits and drugs have been provided free of charge in health centres across the state, especially for children.

Dr. Sambo commended Governor Bala Mohammed for revitalising the agency through the renovation of its offices, refurbishment of vehicles, and improved operational capacity.

He said these efforts have strengthened BACATMA’s ability to provide timely and quality healthcare services to residents of the state.