Health
Plateau State Reviews 2025 SMC Campaign, Records Top National Performance
The Plateau State Ministry of Health, through the State Malaria Elimination Programme (SMEP), on Monday held the 2025 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) End-of-Round Review Meeting at Crispan Hotels and Apartments, Jos. The session assessed SMC implementation across all 17 local government areas, reviewing data, achievements, and challenges recorded between June and October 2025.
The meeting featured presentations on the state’s 2025 performance, including HMIS malaria data, supply chain updates, administrative coverage from the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) and DIGIT, as well as discussions on successes, operational gaps, and recommendations for the upcoming cycle.
SMEP Programme Manager, NDAK Kizito, explained that the SMC campaign—targeted at children under five—aims to significantly reduce malaria cases during the rainy season, when transmission peaks.
“This medication is given during the peak of the rainy season because that is when malaria transmission is at its highest,” he said. “No child under five should die of malaria. With prevention as our priority, we deployed about 7,878 community drug distributors across the 325 wards in the state to administer the medication house-to-house.”
Kizito announced that Plateau State ranked first among all SMC-implementing states nationwide, attributing the feat to strong political will, community participation, and timely government counterpart funding. He also highlighted the exceptional involvement of the First Lady, Barr. Helen Manasseh Mutfwang, who served as the SMC Ambassador, alongside the wives of all 17 LGA chairmen who acted as SMC advocates—an effort he said amplified awareness and encouraged parents to present their children for treatment.
Looking toward 2026, he emphasized sustainability. “We must prepare for a future where Malaria Consortium may no longer be on ground. Sustainability plans are key,” he added.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Bitrus Hosea, commended the state’s outstanding performance, noting that Plateau has maintained the top position for two consecutive years.
“From the statistics presented, Plateau is doing exceptionally well. The strategies we adopted, including learning from best practices and improving implementation patterns, have clearly yielded results,” he said, urging participants to continue supporting efforts to retain the state’s leading status.
Also speaking, Rakiya Hassan Kadel, Malaria Focal Person for Wase LGA, expressed appreciation to Malaria Consortium, stating that the intervention has drastically reduced cases of anemia, convulsions, and severe malaria among children under five. She noted that the digital payment and reporting systems introduced in the last two years have improved accuracy and efficiency. “We expect continued digital implementation and more SP+AQ drugs next year due to rising child population,” she added.
The Malaria Focal Person for Jos North LGA, Rayi Lawrence Bitrus, reported improved malaria data quality and reduced disease burden, despite earlier challenges with PMI support. He called for government provision of digital tools, including laptops, as well as additional staff to strengthen data management.
This year’s review brought together key stakeholders, including senior officials from the Ministry of Health, SMEP staff, the Director of Public Health, heads of PLASCHEMA and DMA, the Executive Secretary of the Primary Healthcare Board, Directors of Primary Healthcare from all 17 LGAs, Roll Back Malaria Managers, Malaria Consortium field officers, and other SMC programme personnel.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthen supervision, enhance digital reporting systems, improve logistics, and sustain the progress made as the state prepares for the 2026 SMC cycle.
Nigeria is reviewing its Ebola preparedness after Kenya confirmed an imported case of the Bundibugyo virus, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said.
The NCDC said the case highlights the risk of “international importation” of the virus through travel and population movement, “including the possibility of the virus being imported into Nigeria.”
The agency announced this Tuesday night in a statement signed by its Director-General, Jide Idris. It noted that “as of 6 October, there is no confirmed case of Ebola disease in Nigeria.”
The case makes Kenya the fourth country to report a case linked to the current Bundibugyo virus outbreak, following the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda and France.
Kenya confirms first case
PREMIUM TIMES reported on Tuesday that Kenya confirmed its first imported case of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, the patient was a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the DRC, where the virus outbreak is ongoing.
The patient travelled by road from the DRC to Kampala, Uganda, before flying to Nairobi, where they were isolated after developing symptoms. Samples tested positive for Bundibugyo virus at Kenya’s National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute.
Despite receiving supportive care, the patient died on the night of 5 October and was buried on Tuesday under Kenya’s safe and dignified burial protocol, according to WHO.
Nigeria reviews preparedness
The NCDC said the development in Kenya has added a new regional dimension to the outbreak and underscores the possibility of international importation through travel and population movement.
It noted that since the outbreak was first reported in the DRC, NCDC, working with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Port Health Services, State governments, and other stakeholders, including partners, has taken steps to strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for Ebola.
“These efforts have focused on early detection, isolation and referral, laboratory diagnosis, infection prevention and control, contact tracing, risk communication and protection of healthcare workers,” it said.
The NCDC said Nigeria has conducted a national Ebola preparedness tabletop simulation exercise to assess the country’s readiness to respond to a possible case.
It added that it would continue to monitor developments in Kenya, the DRC and other affected countries and adjust preparedness measures as necessary.
DRC remains worst affected
The current outbreak was first reported in the DRC and has been linked to the Bundibugyo virus, a species of Ebola virus.
As of 23 September, WHO said the DRC had reported 7,890 confirmed cases, including 3,799 deaths, giving a crude case fatality ratio of 48.1 per cent.
The outbreak has affected 63 health zones across seven provinces, with WHO warning of increased cross-border risks.
Uganda’s latest Ebola outbreak ended in August, while France reported a travel-related case in June.
READ ALSO: Kenya confirms first imported Ebola case linked to DRC outbreak
NCDC advises travellers, health workers
The NCDC advised people travelling from affected areas to monitor their health for 21 days after leaving the affected area.
“If symptoms develop, avoid unnecessary contact with others and immediately contact the appropriate public health authorities or seek care at a recognised health facility, clearly disclosing travel and possible exposure history,” it noted.
The agency also advised Nigerians to practise hand hygiene and avoid contact with the body fluids of sick or deceased people.
It urged health workers to maintain a high index of suspicion when treating patients with compatible symptoms and a history of travel to or exposure in an affected area within the previous 21 days.
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Kenya has confirmed its first imported case of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus, as the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo continues to spread across the region.
According to a statement published Tuesday by the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa, the patient was a Kenyan citizen who had been living in the DRC and fell ill there.
The patient travelled by road to Kampala, Uganda, before flying to Nairobi, where the patient was isolated after developing symptoms. Samples tested positive for Bundibugyo virus at Kenya’s National Virology Reference Laboratory and the Kenya Medical Research Institute.
Despite supportive care, the patient died on the night of 5 October and was buried on Tuesday in line with Kenya’s Ebola safe and dignified burial protocol, according to WHO.
“The government of Kenya notified WHO of the case in line with the International Health Regulations (2005) on 6 October 2026,” it noted.
Kenya becomes fourth country affected
According to WHO, Kenya is the fourth country to confirm a case of Bundibugyo virus disease in the current outbreak.
The DRC continues to battle the largest outbreak, while Uganda, where the virus was first detected in 2007, ended its latest outbreak in August. France also reported a travel-related case in June.
WHO noted that most of the cases reported in Uganda were imported from the DRC, while a smaller number were locally acquired among contacts and health workers linked to imported cases.
In the DRC, the outbreak has continued to expand. As of 23 September, the country had recorded 7,890 confirmed cases and 3,799 deaths, giving a case fatality ratio of 48.1 per cent.
The outbreak had affected 63 health zones across seven provinces, with two of the latest affected areas bordering other countries. WHO said the expansion had increased the risk of cross-border transmission.
Kenya traces contacts
Following confirmation of the case, Kenyan health authorities have listed 28 contacts, including family members and health workers who cared for the patient.
They are also tracing 23 passengers and four crew members who were on the same flight as the patient.
WHO said Kenya had been on high alert since May, when Ebola outbreaks were declared in the DRC and Uganda.
As of Tuesday, Kenya had screened more than 652,000 travellers entering the country, tested 267 suspected samples and trained about 5,000 health workers on Ebola prevention and management.
WHO said it has also supplied about 1,000 Ebola tests and 1,000 personal protective equipment kits to high-risk counties in Kenya.
READ ALSO: DRC Ebola outbreak remains active as death toll reaches 3,779 – Africa CDC
Nigeria on high alert
Nigeria has also strengthened surveillance in response to the regional outbreak.
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) said in a public health advisory issued in September that the country was on high alert and had activated enhanced surveillance measures.
It introduced a health declaration system under which travellers from countries with active or relevant Ebola transmission may be required to complete a form before boarding.
The form requires travellers to provide information about their recent travel history, transit countries, destination in Nigeria and health status.
The NCDC said the measures are intended to strengthen surveillance and prevent the importation of Ebola into Nigeria.
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