Malaria Consortium Leads Assessment of Child Health Intervention in Bauchi

A non-governmental organisation, Malaria Consortium, has engaged stakeholders in Bauchi State to evaluate the effectiveness of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention and Vitamin A Supplementation (SMC+VAS) in improving child health outcomes.

The assessment meeting, held at Yimir Hotel in Bauchi, focused on reviewing the programme’s coverage, impact and challenges, particularly among children under the age of five who are the primary beneficiaries of the intervention.

The State Programme Manager of Malaria Consortium, Dr. Nuhu Haruna, said the 2025 SMC+VAS project was designed to deliver integrated malaria prevention and vitamin A supplementation to eligible children, with the aim of reducing morbidity and mortality rates.

He acknowledged the support of the Bauchi State Government and development partners, noting that collaboration with UNICEF and other stakeholders is geared towards achieving the World Health Organization’s 70 per cent coverage target for eligible children.

In his remarks, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Agency for the Control of HIV, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Dr. Adamu Sambo, described the initiative as timely and impactful, adding that the assessment would help identify successes and implementation gaps for future improvement.

Also speaking, the State Nutrition Officer of the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Abubakar Sale, underscored the importance of vitamin A supplementation in reducing child mortality by about 24 per cent, advocating sustained integration of the intervention.

Earlier, the SMC+VAS Programme Manager, Dr. Umar Suleiman, explained that the exercise was aimed at evaluating programme performance, its effect on other maternal and child health services, and stakeholders’ perceptions to inform policy decisions and future planning.