Nigeria has taken a significant step toward adopting a new malaria prevention strategy after the first phase of the Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC) Effect study yielded robust local evidence. At a national dissemination meeting in Abuja on 5 August 2026, government officials, researchers and development partners reviewed findings showing that PMC significantly reduces malaria among children under two years of age when delivered through the existing primary Healthcare system.
The study, conducted in Osun State between 2023 and 2025, found that children receiving monthly doses of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) experienced a 22 percent reduction in confirmed malaria cases and a 19 percent drop in overall health facility visits for illness. The regimen provided more than 50 percent protection against malaria infection within 28 days of each dose, with even greater protection when combined with insecticide-treated nets. Safety monitoring confirmed no serious adverse drug reactions. Cost and operational analyses indicated that integrating PMC into routine immunisation services is affordable and does not require parallel delivery systems.
Mathematical modelling projects that scaling up PMC across eligible areas in southern Nigeria between 2026 and 2030 could reduce clinical malaria cases among children aged 2 to 18 months by 20 to 35 percent, potentially preventing tens of thousands of episodes and improving child survival.
Dr Oslusola Oresanya, Senior Technical Advisor for Implementation at Malaria Consortium, described the milestone as a reflection of Nigeria’s commitment to evidence-based innovation. The Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the findings will shape how the intervention is adopted in local contexts.
The PMC Effect Study was implemented by Malaria Consortium with funding from the Gates Foundation, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Malaria Elimination Programme, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and Northwestern University.
Stakeholders expressed optimism that the evidence provides a practical opportunity to protect more children, reduce preventable illness and deaths, and accelerate progress toward malaria elimination. The next phase, PMC-Effect Scale-up, is expected to begin in November 2026, expanding the intervention across Osun State while documenting factors that enable effective scale-up for potential application in similar settings.
