PATH, Benue Govt Review Malaria Campaign, Target Final SMC Cycle.

From Gabriel Agbo, Abuja 

The Benue State government in partnership with PATH, has reviewed the implementation of the 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention, SMC, campaign, with stakeholders resolving to close identified operational gaps ahead of the final cycle.

The fourth and final cycle of the campaign is scheduled to commence on September 16, 2026, after three cycles were successfully implemented across the state.

The review was held during a working visit by a PATH delegation, led by the Chief of Party, REACH Project Nigeria, Dr Uchenna Nwokenna, to the Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Paul Ejeh Ogwuche, in his office in Makurdi.

The delegation included the National Professional Officer of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, NMEP, Dr Justin Adaji, and PATH Benue State Coordinator, Mrs Sewuese Batur, while the ministry's team was led by Ogwuche and the Permanent Secretary, Dr Cephas Hough.

Welcoming the delegation, Ogwuche commended PATH and other development partners for their continued technical and implementation support to the state, particularly in the fight against malaria.

The Commissioner also expressed appreciation to Governor Hyacinth Alia for the timely release of the state's counterpart funding for the 2026 SMC campaign, describing the support as a demonstration of the administration's commitment to protecting children and strengthening preventive healthcare.

According to him, the resources and technical support provided for the programme must translate into effective implementation and measurable health benefits for the people of the state.

Ogwuche charged the ministry, PATH, NMEP and other stakeholders to sustain the gains recorded under the programme and ensure that eligible children are reached during the final cycle.

He said: “The resources and support provided must translate into effective implementation and measurable health benefits. All hands must be on deck to sustain the gains recorded and collectively advance His Excellency's health vision for Benue State.”

In his response, Nwokenna appreciated the state government for its commitment to the SMC programme and commended the ministry and other stakeholders for their cooperation in implementing the campaign.

He said the visit provided an opportunity for PATH and the state to jointly assess the implementation of the 2026 campaign, identify areas that had worked well, address challenges and strengthen preparations for the final cycle.

Nwokenna reaffirmed PATH's commitment to working with the state to strengthen malaria prevention and ensure that the benefits of SMC reach eligible children across Benue.

The Permanent Secretary, Hough, stressed the need for stronger coordination among the ministry, development partners and structures responsible for delivering the intervention at the community level.

He said lessons from the current campaign would be useful in improving planning, logistics, supervision and implementation of subsequent cycles.

The review identified operational gaps requiring urgent attention before the commencement of Cycle Four. Stakeholders consequently agreed to strengthen coordination, improve logistics and commodity availability, intensify community mobilisation, and enhance monitoring and supervision.

They also agreed that lessons from the first three cycles would be applied to improve the implementation of the final cycle and guide the planning of future SMC campaigns.

The meeting further highlighted the need for predictable and sustainable financing, including timely release of government counterpart funds and coordination of partner support, to prevent disruptions in subsequent campaigns.

The intervention is designed to protect children from malaria infection and reduce severe illness, hospitalisation and malaria-related deaths.

SMC is a preventive malaria intervention involving the administration of recommended antimalarial medicines to eligible children during periods of high malaria transmission, even when they are not showing symptoms.

With the final cycle set to begin on September 16, stakeholders pledged to address the identified gaps and ensure that eligible children across Benue are reached, as the state and its partners seek to consolidate gains made in malaria prevention.