By Daniel Agbesi Latsu, GNA
Kadjebi (O/R), June 23, GNA – The Kadjebi District Health Directorate will commence the first cycle of the 2026 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign from Wednesday, June 24 to Saturday, June 27, targeting 16,879 children aged between three and 59 months.
The exercise, which forms part of the Ghana Health Service’s malaria prevention strategy, will be carried out through monthly cycles from June to October to protect children against malaria during the peak rainy season.
Mr Eric Nana Takyi, the Kadjebi District Director of Health Service, in a public announcement, said the targeted children represented 18.9 per cent of the district’s projected 2026 population of 89,233.
He explained that trained community volunteers would undertake door-to-door visits to administer the first dose of the anti-malarial medicine to eligible children, while parents and caregivers would be guided on how to administer the remaining doses at home.
Mr Takyi said the medicines had been approved by the Ghana Health Service, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), assuring parents and guardians that the drugs were safe and had been used successfully in Ghana for several years.
He noted that although a few children might experience mild side effects such as vomiting or stomach upset, the symptoms were usually short-lived, urging caregivers to report any concerns to the nearest health facility, where affected children would receive free treatment upon presentation of their National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards.
Mr Takyi emphasised that children must complete all five monthly cycles to achieve maximum protection against malaria throughout the rainy season, stressing that a single cycle was insufficient.
He said malaria remained one of the leading causes of illness among children under five years in the district, adding that Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention could reduce malaria cases in that age group by up to 75 per cent during the transmission season.
Mr Takyi appealed to parents, guardians and caregivers to cooperate with health workers and community volunteers by ensuring that eligible children were available at home during the four-day exercise.
He also urged caregivers to safely keep the remaining doses and administer them exactly as instructed to ensure the effectiveness of the intervention.
Mr Takyi said the campaign was free of charge and called on the public to support the initiative to help reduce the burden of malaria and improve child health outcomes in the district.
He encouraged residents with questions about the exercise to contact the nearest health facility or the District Health Directorate for further information.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/ Christabel Addo