Ouagadougou: The Permanent Secretariat for the Elimination of Malaria (SP/Palu) launched its 2026 seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaign, “CPS plus,” on Tuesday, aiming to protect 5 million children starting from June 25.
According to Burkina Information Agency, the campaign is focused on administering free preventive medicines to children aged 3 to 59 months. Ousseini Ou©draogo, head of the Department of Care, Drug Prevention and Vaccination at SP/Malarus, announced that more than 1.2 million children will be protected during the initial campaign phase from June 25 to 28, using door-to-door and fixed-site strategies.
In the Djoro and Tannounyan regions, a fixed advanced strategy has been adopted. Beyond medication, the campaign also involves screening for malnutrition, catch-up vaccinations, care for febrile children, and the destruction of larval breeding grounds to ensure a comprehensive approach.
Dr. Ou©draogo emphasized the necessity of a healthy environment in the fight against malaria. He highlighted that the Burkinabe State has allocated nearly 5 billion FCFA to support the initiative, with 2.7 billion dedicated to the CPS.
The 2025 campaign report indicated that 94% of targeted children received all four treatments, with 73% of larval habitats destroyed. This led to a reduction in malaria cases to 7 million from the usual 10 million, and a decrease in deaths from 3,000 to 2,000, particularly among children under five.
Dr. Sidzabda Kompaor©, Permanent Secretary for Malaria Elimination, stated that the operational coverage was “very satisfactory,” as children who received at least four visits enjoyed high protection levels. The number of visits varied depending on the rainy season’s duration in different areas.
The integrated approach of the campaign proved effective, as it facilitated additional health measures such as screening for acute malnutrition and updating malaria vaccinations. The Malaria Control Service also reported that 73% of identified mosquito breeding sites were destroyed, and larval breeding sites in places like worship areas or septic tanks have been secured to curb mosquito proliferation.