The Federal Ministry of Health has launched an innovative pilot study to evaluate the effectiveness of intermittent preventive treatment in school-aged children (IPTsc) in Nigeria’s malaria-endemic regions.
Speaking at the launch in Abuja, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa described the initiative as a crucial step forward. The event, which marked the inaugural meeting of the National Intermittent Preventive Treatment in School Children Research and Uptake Task Team, brought together representatives from the World Bank, government ministries, departments, agencies, academia, development partners and advocates.
Alausa explained that the study will assess the protective effects of combining sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine plus amodiaquine (SPAQ) and dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHP) among schoolchildren aged five to 12 years in Sokoto and Cross River states.
“The pilot study, which will run from September 2024 to December 2025, aims to generate critical evidence to inform policy development and guide the potential nationwide scale-up of IPTsc. This intervention is designed to complement existing malaria prevention strategies, such as insecticide-treated nets, seasonal malaria chemoprevention and intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy, while also improving malaria surveillance and treatment outcomes,” he said.
Alausa emphasised the importance of this study in tackling Nigeria’s significant malaria burden, which contributes substantially to global malaria deaths. He pointed out that there is currently insufficient evidence on the feasibility and effectiveness of IPTsc in Nigeria, making this study essential for informed decision-making.
“The data generated from this study will provide the Nigerian government with the necessary information to make strategic decisions on deploying IPTsc as part of a broader toolkit for malaria prevention, particularly in tailoring interventions to specific regions and needs,” he added.
The task team, composed of experts from various ministries, departments, agencies, programmes, academia and professional organisations, will play a key role in facilitating decision-making based on the study’s findings. Representatives from the National Malaria Elimination Programme and the Federal Ministry of Health are also integral to this team.
The meeting concluded with a strong commitment from all stakeholders to work towards improving Nigeria’s health statistics, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s strategic blueprint for universal health coverage. This blueprint aims to save lives, reduce physical and financial suffering, and enhance overall population health outcomes across the country.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare Daju Kachallom underscored the study’s significance in advancing Nigeria’s fight against malaria. She expressed confidence that the data would lead to better health outcomes for school-aged children and the broader population, particularly in reducing morbidity and mortality from malaria among vulnerable groups.
An epidemiologist and malaria case management specialist at the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr. Shekarau Emmanuel highlighted the systematic selection of states, local government areas, and schools to target 200 children per school. This approach ensures a focused effort in malaria prevention and education.
He noted the absence of resistance to malaria treatments in Nigeria, based on recent therapeutic efficacy studies, and praised the effectiveness of current treatments and the proactive monitoring by the National Malaria Programme. Emmanuel also emphasised the strategic use of multiple artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) to prevent over-reliance on any single treatment method, noting that Sokoto and Cross River were selected for their representation of northern and southern Nigeria, respectively.
“The careful consideration of resource constraints in the selection process reflects the practical challenges faced in implementing public health interventions,” Emmanuel added.
