Kogi State government, in collaboration with Sightsavers, plan to reach more than 240,000 children aged between five and 14 years during the 2026 Schistosomiasis Mass Administration of Medicines (MAM) exercise across 39 wards in 15 local government areas.
This was unveiled during a two-day state-level planning meeting convened on Wednesday by the Ministry of Health’s Department of Public Health, Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) Control Programme, in partnership with Sightsavers.
The meeting focused on developing strategies for the 2026 treatment campaign, validating drug quantification, strengthening micro-planning and finalising the implementation timeline for the control of schistosomiasis, commonly known as bilharzia.
Declaring the meeting open, the commissioner for Health, Dr Abdullazeez Adams, described schistosomiasis as a major public health challenge in Kogi State, particularly among school-age children, farmers, fishermen and residents of communities located near freshwater bodies.
Represented by the permanent secretary, Mr Maji Enoch, the commissioner noted that the disease contributes to poor school attendance, reduced productivity and adverse health outcomes.
He said the meeting would review lessons from previous treatment rounds, strengthen social mobilisation efforts and training for teachers and Community Drug Distributors (CDDs), while placing emphasis on data quality, equity and beneficiary safety.
Adams commended Sightsavers and the Federal Ministry of Health for their technical and financial support and urged stakeholders at the local government level to sustain collaboration in order to “reach the last child in the last community.”
The National Programme Manager at the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr Jacob Solomon, said Nigeria remains committed to achieving the World Health Organisation’s 2030 target for the elimination of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis.
