SARMAAN Project Reaches 15.76 Million Children in Nigeria

The SARMAAN project, which stands for Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin in Nigeria, focuses on improving child survival rates in high-mortality communities. From 2024 to 2026, the project successfully reached 15.76 million unique children across ten northern states, delivering over 26 million doses of azithromycin.

In the first quarter of 2026 alone, more than 7.2 million children were reached in Kano, Bauchi, Jigawa, and Kaduna. Despite progress, Nigeria's under-five mortality rate remains high at 110 deaths per 1,000 live births, significantly above the Sustainable Development Goal target of fewer than 25 by 2030.

The project operates through community health workers and local structures, highlighting the necessity of building trust and providing information to parents about health interventions. The infrastructure supporting SARMAAN includes careful planning, coordination among state teams, and community engagement, which are crucial for effective public health delivery.