CHUKS OKOH
As Nigeria joins the rest of the continent in
commemorating the Day of the African Child, stakeholders in child health, research, and
public policy are calling for the sustainability and institutionalization of the Safety and
Antimicrobial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin Among Children (SARMAAN) Project as a national priority for child survival.
Observed annually on June 16, the Day of the African Child serves as a reminder of
Africa’s collective responsibility to protect the rights, health, and future of its children.
This year’s commemoration presents an opportunity to reflect not only on the
challenges facing children across the continent but also on proven interventions
capable of saving lives and improving health outcomes.
In Nigeria, the SARMAAN Project has emerged as one of the country’s most significant CHILDREN survival initiatives, generating evidence on the safe administration of Azithromycin
while supporting efforts to reduce preventable illnesses and deaths among children under five years of age. Implemented through a partnership involving the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), consortium of implementers, government institutions, development partners, advocacy and communication partners and state-level stakeholders, the project has already reached over 16million children across 11participating northern states.
The success of SARMAAN has demonstrated the potential of evidence-based interventions to contribute to improved child health outcomes. However, stakeholders warn that sustaining these gains will require deliberate action to integrate lessons
learned, strengthen domestic ownership, and embed child survival interventions within
existing health systems and policies.
Ikechukwu Ofuani, Project Lead, SARMAAN Advocacy Project Team, stated that the
SARMAAN Project has demonstrated how evidence-based interventions can
significantly contribute to reducing preventable childhood illnesses and deaths among
children under five years of age. Drawing from extensive engagements with
policymakers, health institutions, development partners, and community stakeholders
across Nigeria, he noted that SARMAAN has evolved beyond a standalone project and
should now be recognized as a strategic child survival intervention with national
relevance.
According to Ofuani, institutionalizing SARMAAN will help safeguard the gains already
recorded while creating opportunities to expand its impact and embed its approach
within Nigeria’s health system for the long-term benefit of children. He emphasized that
[15/06, 15:49] Chukwuemeke: overnment and institutional ownership must define the next phase of the programme,
ensuring that its successes are sustained beyond the lifecycle of donor support.
Emphasizing on the importance of institutionalizing SARMAAN as a national child survival priority, Demilade Oseteku, Principal, SCIDaR – Solina Centre for International Development and Research stated that the project has demonstrated a practical, scalable, and high-impact pathway for improving child survival outcomes in Nigeria, particularly in underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
According to Oseteku, SARMAAN extends beyond the administration of medicine to
strengthening the critical systems required to consistently reach vulnerable children.
These include microplanning, supply chain coordination, community engagement,
implementation monitoring, data-driven decision-making, and accountability
mechanisms across national and sub-national levels.
He noted that at a time when
Nigeria continues to face preventable child deaths from malaria and other childhood
illnesses, SARMAAN provides a tested and evidence-based platform capable of
addressing persistent equity gaps and ensuring that lifesaving interventions reach the children who need them most.
Highlighting the impact of the intervention at the state level, Dr. Abubakar Said Kanya,
Director of Public Health (DPH), Jigawa State, described SARMAAN as a proven child
survival intervention that has demonstrated both effectiveness and strong community
ownership, making a compelling case for its long-term institutionalization.
According to him, Jigawa State has successfully completed three rounds of Mass Drug Administration (MDA) under the SARMAAN programme, consistently achieving the project’s target coverage of 90 percent.
He noted that the implementation has been met with strong community acceptance, with caregivers across participating communities
providing positive feedback and testimonials on the benefits of the intervention.
Dr. Abdulrahman Shuaibu, Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, affirmed that the experience of implementing SARMAAN in
Gombe State has demonstrated why the intervention deserves long-term institutional
support and integration into Nigeria’s child survival agenda.
He said one of the strongest indicators of the programme’s success has been the
remarkable level of community acceptance recorded across participating communities,
with no reported resistance throughout implementation. He noted that this level of
receptiveness is particularly significant given that public health interventions often
encounter varying degrees of hesitation or resistance at the community level.
The project has also demonstrated the value of collaboration between researchers,
policymakers, health workers, traditional institutions, development partners, and
communities in advancing child health priorities.
As discussions on sustainability continue, experts are advocating for stronger policy integration, increased domestic
financing, incorporation into state and national health plans, and continued stakeholder engagement to support long-term impact.
The Day of the African Child is particularly significant because it highlights the
importance of investing in interventions that directly improve the lives of children. For
Nigeria, sustaining the momentum created by SARMAAN aligns with broader national
commitments to reducing child mortality, strengthening primary healthcare systems,
and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals related to child health and wellbeing.
Stakeholders further emphasized that child survival should remain a shared
responsibility requiring commitment from government at all levels, development
partners, healthcare providers, community leaders, caregivers, and the private sector.
As Nigeria reflects on the meaning of the Day of the African Child, stakeholders are
urging policymakers and partners to seize the opportunity presented by SARMAAN’s
achievements by ensuring that child survival remains at the centre of public health
planning, investment, and policy decisions.
