Benue strengthens anti-malaria fight, targets children with 2026 SMC Campaign

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The Benue state government has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting children and other vulnerable groups from malaria, as it intensifies preparations for the 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign.

The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Paul Ogwuche, made the pledge during a Stakeholders’ Engagement Workshop held in Makurdi for the planning of the upcoming intervention.

Describing malaria as one of the most persistent public health challenges in the state, Dr. Ogwuche warned that the disease continues to pose serious risks, particularly to children under five and pregnant women.

“Malaria remains one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in Benue State, and it continues to threaten the lives of our most vulnerable populations,” he said.

According to him “Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention is a scientifically proven and highly effective strategy for reducing illness and deaths among children, and we must not only sustain it but strengthen it.”

He assured stakeholders that the state government would provide full support for the 2026 SMC campaign, including counterpart funding and an enabling environment for seamless implementation.

“We are committed to ensuring that this campaign succeeds. Government will continue to invest in proven interventions and strengthen collaboration with our development partners,” the Commissioner stated.

Dr. Ogwuche commended PATH, the implementing partner, for its consistent support, describing its contributions as “invaluable” to the state’s malaria control efforts.

He also directed the Director of Public Health to maintain close collaboration with partners and provide regular updates, noting that such coordination would enhance transparency, accountability, and effective delivery.

The Commissioner expressed appreciation to Governor Hyacinth Alia for prioritizing the health sector, saying the administration’s support has been instrumental in improving health outcomes across the state.

He said beyond children-focused interventions, the government was also scaling up broader malaria prevention strategies emphasizing that plans were underway to conduct a mass distribution of Insecticide-Treated nets (ITNs) in 2026, following the last round carried out between 2023 and 2024.

He said in addition, community health dialogues were ongoing to promote the use of ITNs and encourage environmental sanitation, while traditional and religious leaders were being engaged to boost acceptance and community ownership of health programmes.

He pointed out that these combined efforts were already yielding measurable results noting that malaria prevalence in the state had dropped significantly from 17.6 percent in 2021 to 11.0 percent in 2025.

He attributed the progress to sustained interventions such as ITN distribution campaigns, SMC implementation, intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women, and the provision of free malaria testing and treatment in 434 health facilities across all 23 local government areas and 276 wards.

Dr. Ogwuche called on all stakeholders to actively participate in the planning process to ensure a successful campaign.

“We must work together to develop a robust, result-driven strategy that will further reduce the burden of malaria in our communities,” he urged.

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