By Adamu Yusuf
As the world marks World Health Day, a day dedicated to spotlighting critical global health priorities, the SARMAAN Project has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding its impact in advancing child survival across Nigeria.
World Health Day serves as a global call to action, bringing together leaders, institutions, and communities to address pressing health challenges from maternal care and mental health to the growing effects of climate change on vulnerable populations.
It also reminds policymakers and stakeholders of the urgent need to strengthen health systems and ensure equitable access to life-saving interventions.
Beyond a single day, it fuels sustained advocacy, awareness, and coordinated action toward improved health outcomes for all.
Against this backdrop, the SARMAAN Project stands as a compelling example of what intentional, large-scale public health interventions can achieve.
From 2024 to 2026, the project has reached 15.76 million unique children aged 1–59 months across ten northern states in Nigeria, administering over 26 million doses of Azithromycin through targeted interventions aimed at reducing preventable childhood illnesses and deaths.
Notably, in the first quarter of 2026 alone, 7,215,455 children were reached through Mass Drug Administration (MDA) across Kano, Bauchi, Jigawa, and Kaduna States.
These are not just numbers; they represent millions of young lives given a stronger chance at survival.
The SARMAAN approach goes beyond implementation. By integrating community engagement, stakeholder dialogue, and communication for development, the project ensures that interventions are understood, accepted, and sustained at the grassroots level.
This aligns with the spirit of World Health Day and underscores the importance of inclusive, people-centred health solutions.
Speaking on the significance of the milestone, the Principal Investigator of the SARMAAN Project and Director of Research at the Clinical Sciences Department of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Prof. Oliver Ezechi highlighted the broader significance:
“World Health Day reminds us that health is a shared responsibility and a fundamental right.
” At SARMAAN, our work reflects this principle by ensuring that children, regardless of their circumstances, have access to life-saving interventions”.
“Reaching over 15 million unique children since 2024, and more than seven million in just the first quarter of 2026, demonstrates what is possible when global priorities meet local action. Each number represents a child protected, a family supported, and a step closer to reducing preventable child deaths”.
“However, our focus goes beyond delivery. We are committed to building trust, strengthening systems, and driving conversations that empower communities to take charge of their health. That is how lasting impact is achieved.”
“Reinforcing the need for long-term sustainability, Ikechukwu Ofuani, Project Lead of the SARMAAN Advocacy Team, emphasised the importance of transitioning from donor dependency to national ownership”.
“While the progress recorded through the SARMAAN Project is significant, it is critical that we begin to intentionally chart a path toward sustainability”.
” This means supporting the Government of Nigeria to progressively take ownership of the initiative by integrating it into national health priorities, funding frameworks, and implementation structures”.
“True impact is not only measured by what we achieve today, but by what can be sustained tomorrow. The future of child survival interventions must be locally driven, government-led, and system-embedded to ensure that no child is left behind.”
“The success of the SARMAAN Project is driven by strong collaboration among donors, implementing partners, researchers, and government ministries, departments, and agencies reflecting the multi-stakeholder engagement that World Health Day continues to champion globally”.
“As conversations around health equity, resilience, and access take centre stage, SARMAAN’s impact reinforces a critical message: sustainable progress in child survival requires not only scale, but also strategy, collaboration, and community ownership”.
“On this World Health Day, the SARMAAN Project reaffirms its commitment to intensifying efforts, expanding reach, and contributing meaningfully to a future where no child is left behind”.
“The SARMAAN Project, part of the regional REACH (Resiliency through Azithromycin in Children) Network, is an evidence-based child survival programme designed to reduce under-five mortality in high-burden states in Nigeria. It implements Mass Drug Administration (MDA) of azithromycin through a government-led, multi-partner approach to ensure scalability, sustainability, and system strengthening”.
