The intervention was carried out by the Society for Family Health (SFH) as part of its 2025 integrated Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) and ITN distribution campaign. According to a report released by the organisation, a total of 4,174,971 children were administered Amodiaquine Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (SPAQ), while 45,092,208 ITNs were distributed to households.
The campaign was implemented in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) and State Ministries of Health in Adamawa, Delta, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Niger and Taraba states, targeting peak malaria transmission periods. SFH said the integrated approach was designed to maximise impact by combining household-level protection with direct prevention among the most vulnerable children aged between three and 59 months.
As part of the exercise, 96,066 health workers and community volunteers were trained to support delivery, monitoring and community engagement, a move the organisation said would strengthen long-term capacity for both mass campaigns and routine health services. Digital tools and innovative micro-planning methods were also deployed to improve efficiency and expand coverage.
SFH explained that while ITNs offer protection to entire households for up to three to four years, SMC provides immediate protection for young children during high-risk seasons. Integrating both interventions, the organisation noted, reduces logistical duplication, improves cost-effectiveness and ensures broader population coverage within a single campaign cycle.
State-by-state data showed that ITN distribution reached 14,678,116 people in Kano, 9,054,626 in Kaduna, 8,183,623 in Katsina, 6,250,366 in Niger, 6,098,830 in Delta and 665,334 in Taraba. For SMC delivery, 1,088,727 eligible children were reached in Adamawa, while 3,086,244 children were covered in Kano, bringing the total number of SPAQ doses administered over four cycles at 28-day intervals to over 4.17 million.
The organisation said trained community mobilisers were central to driving acceptance and participation at the grassroots level, helping to build trust and ownership of the interventions. According to SFH, the integrated delivery model enabled shared logistics and consolidated community engagement, allowing limited resources to reach more people with greater impact.
Beyond prevention, SFH noted that its malaria programme also supports improved diagnosis and treatment, alongside technical assistance and data-driven capacity building for state governments to strengthen local health systems and ensure sustainability.
The organisation stressed that the success of the 2025 campaign was anchored on strong coordination with state ministries, the NMEP, line ministries, security agencies, community and religious leaders, as well as donors such as the Global Fund. It added that combining ITN distribution with SMC delivery aligns with World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations and national best practices, particularly during seasonal malaria peaks.
SFH said sustained community engagement and social behaviour change initiatives remain critical, not only for immediate public health gains but also for building resilient state-level health systems capable of delivering high-impact, life-saving interventions.