An exploratory study of seasonal malaria chemoprevention and pharmacovigilance for under-five children in Kebbi State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND

Seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) is an important public health intervention that is being used to reduce the burden of malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of SMC and pharmacovigilance practices in under-five children in Kebbi State, Nigeria.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

The methodology involved a comprehensive review of tools for managing SMC commodities, training data collectors, and fieldwork to evaluate all local government area (LGA) stores, the central medical store (CMS), and selected health facilities based on the sample size determined. Data were collected using SurveyCTO software and analyzed using MS Excel. Twenty-one data reviewers visited the CMS, 21 LGA stores, and 315 health facilities.

RESULTS

Our study uncovered significant inaccuracies in documentation, which led to many commodities needing to be more effectively accounted for regarding sources. Data triangulation showed inconsistencies between tools and physical counts that do not match the quantities on inventory control cards. Most primary health-care (PHC) staff in charge of SMC have been formally trained in pharmacovigilance. About 75% (237) of PHCs referred cases of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to a secondary health-care facility, while 14% (45) treated the symptoms of the ADR with another drug, and 7% (21) took no action, and the reaction resolved on its own.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides insight into the challenges and opportunities for improving the implementation of SMC and pharmacovigilance practices in Kebbi State, Nigeria, and has important implications for other settings with similar challenges.