Day of the African Child: Stakeholders call for national adoption of SARMAAN for child survival
By Chioma Obinna
As Nigeria marked the 2026 Day of the African Child, stakeholders in child health, research, and public policy have called for the urgent institutionalisation of the Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin Among Children (SARMAAN) project, warning that the country risks losing hard-won gains in child survival unless evidence-based interventions are embedded into national health systems.
The call came as experts rallied around the SARMAAN project, describing it as one of the most impactful child survival initiatives in recent years, with demonstrated capacity to reduce preventable deaths among children under five.
Observed annually on June 16, the Day of the African Child underscores the continent’s commitment to protecting children’s rights and wellbeing. This year’s commemoration in Nigeria placed renewed emphasis on sustaining proven health interventions amid persistent child mortality challenges.
Implemented through a multi-partner collaboration involving the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, development partners, state governments, and implementation consortia including SCIDaR (Solina Centre for International Development and Research), the SARMAAN Project has reached over 16 million children across 11 northern states, according to programme data.
On his part, the Project Lead, SARMAAN Advocacy Team, Ikechukwu Ofuani, said the intervention had moved beyond the scope of a donor-funded initiative and must now be treated as a core national health strategy.
“SARMAAN has demonstrated how evidence-based interventions can significantly reduce preventable childhood illnesses and deaths. It is no longer just a project—it is a strategic child survival intervention with national relevance,” Ofuani said.
He stressed that sustained impact would depend on government ownership and integration into Nigeria’s health architecture.
“We must institutionalise these gains. The next phase must be defined by domestic ownership, integration into policy, and long-term financing beyond donor cycles,” he added.
Also speaking, Demilade Osoteku of SCIDaR described SARMAAN as a “practical and scalable model” for addressing equity gaps in child health delivery across underserved communities.
“SARMAAN is not just about medicine distribution. It strengthens the systems that make child survival possible, microplanning, supply chains, community engagement, and data-driven accountability,” Osoteku said.
He warned that Nigeria’s persistent burden of preventable childhood diseases, including malaria, demands sustained adoption of tested interventions.
“At this stage, the question is no longer whether it works. The question is how quickly we can embed it into national systems to save more lives.”
Highlighting implementation success, Dr. Abubakar Said Kanya, Director of Public Health in Jigawa State, said SARMAAN had recorded strong community acceptance and consistent performance.
“Jigawa State has completed three rounds of implementation, consistently achieving over 90 percent coverage. The community ownership has been remarkable,” he said.
Also, the Executive Secretary of the Gombe State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr. Abdulrahman Shuaibu said the programme’s success was reflected in zero reported resistance during implementation.
“One of the strongest indicators of success is the absence of resistance in participating communities. That level of acceptance is rare in large-scale public health interventions,” he noted.
Stakeholders agreed that while SARMAAN has demonstrated strong results, its future depends on policy integration, domestic financing, and inclusion in national child health plans.
They called for stronger collaboration between government institutions, traditional leaders, health workers, and development partners to ensure continuity.
The public health experts also linked the intervention to Nigeria’s broader commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly targets on reducing under-five mortality and strengthening primary healthcare systems.
They stakeholders urged policymakers to act decisively to protect and expand the gains achieved under SARMAAN.
“Child survival must not be treated as a project agenda, it must be a national priority backed by sustained investment and political will,” one stakeholder said.