By Willies Ugo in Gombe | Oct. 17, 2025
The Malaria Consortium, in collaboration with the Gombe State Malaria Elimination Programme, has unveiled plans to reach about one million children under the age of five with preventive drugs against malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhoea.
The initiative, which forms part of a Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaign funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is scheduled to commence on November 10, 2025, and will run for four days across all parts of Gombe State. The campaign is one of several being implemented by the Consortium in five selected states across Nigeria.
Addressing journalists in Gombe ahead of the exercise, the Project Technical Specialist with the Malaria Consortium, Dr. Obiora Anidebe, described the campaign as a strategic health intervention aimed at reducing child mortality and improving access to essential preventive medicines.
According to him, the project, titled “Safety and Microbial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin to Children from One to Fifty-Nine (59) Months in Nigeria,” is designed to provide equitable access to treatment across the 114 wards and 11 local government areas of the state.
“The Azithromycin Mass Drug Administration is intended to reduce child mortality and morbidity, as well as strengthen control of preventable diseases through evidence-based interventions,” Dr. Anidebe stated.
He disclosed that the State Training of Trainers (STOT) session currently ongoing is to ensure that community drug distributors, local stakeholders, and health personnel are adequately prepared to implement the exercise at the grassroots level.
Dr. Anidebe reaffirmed the Consortium’s commitment to supporting state-led health initiatives through robust partnerships, strategic communication, and stakeholder engagement to achieve sustainable health outcomes. He also assured that sufficient quantities of the drug had been made available for the exercise.
Similarly, the State Project Manager, Abubakar Isah, noted that the drug had been successfully deployed in other states with positive results. He said traditional rulers, community, and religious leaders in Gombe had been fully mobilised to ensure smooth implementation.
“The campaign will be conducted through a door-to-door approach to ensure that all eligible children are reached. However, sick, malnourished, or allergic children will be exempted,” Isah clarified.
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He explained that the drug would be administered twice yearly, at six-month intervals, in line with the global best practices for preventive mass administration.
Malaria Consortium is one of the world’s leading non-profit organisations focused on the control of malaria and other communicable diseases. Through research, advocacy, and partnership with governments, the organisation continues to strengthen healthcare systems and improve community well-being across Africa.
