YAKO, PASSORÉ – The Yako Health District in Passoré Province has announced a seasonal chemo-prevention of malaria (CPS) campaign scheduled from July 26 to 29, 2024, aimed at combating malaria and acute malnutrition among children aged 3 to 59 months. The campaign, which also targets malnutrition screening, is part of a broader effort to reduce childhood morbidity and mortality in the region.
According to Burkina Information Agency, Chief Medical Officer of the Yako Health District, the campaign will involve the administration of antimalarial drugs to healthy children within the specified age range to shield them from the disease during the high-risk rainy season. “SMC is carried out through the administration of antimalarial drugs to healthy children aged 3 to 59 months to protect them from malaria,” explained Dr. Sawadogo during an advocacy and information meeting held on Thursday, July 18, 2024.
The campaign is structured to run over four cycles, each spanning four days, and will coincide with screenings for acute malnutrition in children aged 6 to 59 months. The initiative was introduced to stakeholders during a meeting chaired by Daouda Sangaré, the High Commissioner of Passoré, which aimed to equip local opinion leaders and relay actors with crucial information for the upcoming vaccination drive.
Dr. Sawadogo highlighted the vulnerability of the targeted age group to malaria, noting the significant number of deaths among young children during past rainy seasons. He emphasized that the vaccination campaign is a critical step in reducing both the morbidity and mortality associated with malaria in children.
The campaign will employ a door-to-door strategy, with community distribution agents delivering treatments in public spaces, displaced people’s sites, fields, and train stations. Dr. Sawadogo also noted the campaign’s secondary goal of identifying and eliminating mosquito breeding sites in households. “SMC is an opportunity to identify and destroy larval breeding sites in households because unhealthy places and stagnant water are breeding grounds for mosquitoes favorable to the transmission of malaria,” he stated.
For the successful execution of the 2024 campaign in Passoré, the head of the Yako health district has called on all stakeholders to actively disseminate information and raise awareness about the benefits of the campaign to ensure maximum community participation and impact.