The safety perimeters show that the drug is very good and that is why SARMAAN is extended to children from one months to 59 months
The Nigeria Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) says over 4 million children have benefited from its ongoing Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance Mass Administration of Azithromycin (SARMAAN) project targeted at reducing infant mortality in the country.
Prof. Oliver Ezechi, a Director of Research at the Clinical Sciences Department of NIMR, made the assertion on Tuesday during the institute’s Monthly Media Chat organised to inform the public on some of its research works.
Ezechi, who is the Team Lead of the research, said the first phase of SARMAAN was initiated in 2022 by the Federal Government.
According to him, it is on a recommendation from the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the need for mass administration of Azithromycin in countries with high infant mortality rate.
The director said the project was funded by the Gates Foundation in partnership with MDAs and other international development partners.
He said the first phase of the study was piloted in six states which are Kano, Jigawa Kebbi, Sokoto, Abia and Akwa Ibom.
He said that the success recorded from the project prompted the take up of SARMAAN II in 11 States with high infant mortality.
Ezechi, a Professor of Maternal, Reproductive and Child Health, said the states earmarked for the SARMAAN II were Gombe, Bauchi, Kano, Sokoto, Jigawa, Zamfara, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna and Borno.
He said the age limit had been expanded from one to 59 months unlike in SARMAAN I where the children between one to 11 months were administered Azithromycin.
He identified upper and lower respiratory infections, diarrhea and others as some of the leading cause of deaths in infants.
“SARMAAN 1 was a limited research we carried out that involved six states and the project showed that Azithromycin was safe for children and only less than two per cent of the children reported side effects common among children.
“Before we started, we measured the antimicrobial resistance level and obtain 4.1 per cent before introducing the drugs and ensured that we are not solving one problem and starting another one.
“The safety perimeters show that the drug is very good and that is why SARMAAN is extended to children from one months to 59 months to enable us know the number of reduction in infant mortality.
“SARMAAN 1 was not powered to measure morbidity and mortality but we will be able to do that with SARMAAN 11 as the project progresses,” he said.
Speaking also, Dr Abideen Salako, a Consultant Paediatrician and Study Coordinator of the project, said findings in SARMAAN 1 showed that the mass administration of Azithromycin was safe and cost effective if integrated into existing child health programmes.
Salako explained that administration of the drug in the six pilot states did not worsen antimicrobial resistance in the children, noting that the doses were within six-month intervals
He noted that the project promoted effective collaborations and direct and indirect employment opportunities where the study was carried out.
Speaking on the challenges encountered, Dr Folahanmi Akinsolu, the Assistant Study Coordinator for the SARMAN Project, identified poor recognition of critical role of research, weak health system and shortages of skilled personnel as some of the challenges encountered.
Akinsolu, who is a Public Health Physician, called for the need to integrate research findings into policy to increase the potential of research outputs on health outcomes. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)