Stakeholders Seek Adoption of SARMAAN to Boost Child Survival in Nigeria

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By Imran Musa

Stakeholders in child health, research and public policy have called for the sustainability and institutionalisation of the Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin Among Children (SARMAAN) Project as a national priority for child survival in Nigeria.

The call was made ahead of the 2026 Day of the African Child, commemorated annually on June 16 across the continent to promote children’s rights, health and wellbeing.

According to the stakeholders, the SARMAAN Project has emerged as one of Nigeria’s most significant child survival initiatives, reaching more than 16 million children across 11 northern states through the safe administration of azithromycin to reduce preventable illnesses and deaths among children under five.

Implemented through a partnership involving the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), government institutions, development partners and state-level stakeholders, the project is generating evidence to support efforts aimed at reducing child mortality.

Speaking on the importance of sustaining the initiative, the Project Lead of the SARMAAN Advocacy Project Team, Ikechukwu Ofuani, said the intervention had evolved beyond a standalone programme and should be recognised as a strategic child survival initiative of national importance.

He stressed that integrating SARMAAN into Nigeria’s health system would help preserve the gains already achieved while ensuring long-term benefits for children beyond the lifespan of donor funding.

Also speaking, Demilade Oseteku, Principal at the Solina Centre for International Development and Research (SCIDaR), described the project as a practical and scalable intervention capable of improving child survival outcomes, especially in underserved communities.

Oseteku noted that SARMAAN goes beyond medicine distribution by strengthening health systems through improved microplanning, supply chain coordination, community engagement, implementation monitoring and data-driven decision-making.

At the state level, Director of Public Health in Jigawa State, Dr. Abubakar Said Kanya, said the state had successfully completed three rounds of mass drug administration under the programme, achieving the target coverage rate of 90 per cent.

He added that the intervention had received strong acceptance from communities, with caregivers reporting positive outcomes.

Similarly, the Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Shuaibu, said the programme recorded no resistance from participating communities, underscoring its effectiveness and broad public acceptance.

Stakeholders further called for stronger policy integration, increased domestic financing and the inclusion of SARMAAN in state and national health plans to ensure its sustainability.

They emphasised that reducing child mortality requires collective action from governments, healthcare providers, development partners, community leaders, caregivers and the private sector.

The SARMAAN Project is part of the regional Resiliency through Azithromycin in Children (REACH) Network and is designed to reduce under-five mortality through a government-led, multi-partner approach that promotes scalability, sustainability and health system strengthening.

Published on

June 16, 2026. 11:12+00:00