By Stanley Onyekwere
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has officially launched its 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign across all six Area Councils, aiming to distribute free life-saving malaria prevention medications to over one million children aged 3 to 59 months.
The flag-off ceremony marks a critical milestone in the territory’s ongoing public health battle against malaria, particularly as the high-transmission rainy season gets underway.
Speaking on the launch, the Mandate Secretary for the FCT Health and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, emphasized that securing a healthier future for the next generation requires immediate, decisive action.
“A healthier future for our children starts today,” Dr. Fasawe stated, rallying communities, parents, and caregivers to actively participate in the exercise.
The 2026 campaign comes on the heels of remarkable public health achievements in the nation’s capital.
Data released by the Secretariat reveals that collaborative health interventions have successfully driven down malaria prevalence in the FCT by an impressive 58% over a four-year period—dropping from 18.8% in 2021 to 7.9% in 2025.
Despite this rapid decline, health officials stress that complacency is not an option.
“But our work is not done,” Dr. Fasawe cautioned, emphasizing the administration’s zero-tolerance goal for preventable childhood illnesses.
“Together, we can protect our children, reduce the burden of malaria, and build an FCT where no child dies from a mosquito bite.”
To ensure maximum coverage, the Secretariat is deploying a massive network of trained Community Drug Distributors.
It was gathered that from June through October, these healthcare workers will conduct door-to-door visits across residential areas, villages, and estates in all six Area Councils.
The free prevention regimen relies heavily on compliance.
Health authorities are urging parents and caregivers not only to welcome the distribution teams into their homes but to strictly ensure that their eligible children complete the full 3-day treatment course each month for the duration of the 5-month cycle.
With the combined strength of government backing, community cooperation, and direct household delivery, the FCT administration aims to push its malaria prevalence numbers even closer to zero by the end of the high-transmission season.
