Niger

Country Overview

Malaria overview

All of Niger’s population is exposed to malaria, with 4.4m cases and 2,209 deaths reported in 2014. While the number of cases is significantly greater than the 2.3m reported in 2009, the number of deaths has not increased - thought to be related to improved access to, and quality of malaria case management services.

Malaria transmission in Niger is highly seasonal and varies according to the different geographical zones. In the northern desert region, malaria burden is low and transmission is sporadic. In the Sahel climatic zone, to the south of the Sahara, there is a short malaria transmission season of less than four months while the far south of the country has a longer 4-6 month transmission season.

Which areas of Niger are eligible for SMC?

All of the malaria endemic areas of Niger in the south of the country are eligible for SMC, with highly seasonal malaria transmission and a high malaria burden.

What is Niger’s experience with SMC?

Before ACCESS-SMC, Niger already had significant experience of delivering SMC. The National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), in partnership with MSF, has implemented SMC in various districts of Niger since 2013, and in 2015 expects to implement in Magaria, Madaraounfa, Guidam, Roumdji, Madaoua and Bouza. UNICEF has also been supporting Mali to implement SMC.

ACCESS-SMC in Niger

Where is SMC being delivered?

In Niger, ACCESS-SMC is supporting the NMCP to deliver SMC in in seven districts in 2015, reaching 609,789 children. The districts to be covered are: Gaya, Tessaoua, Loga, Maradi, Zinder, Aguié and Birni N’Konni.

When is SMC delivered?

In Niger, SMC is delivered to children starting in July, with monthly distributions continuing until October.

How is SMC being managed?

ACCESS-SMC will create a sustainable system of SMC delivery in Niger, with a view to enabling the NMCP to continue providing SMC in these districts beyond the duration of the project. For this reason, ACCESS-SMC is collaborating closely with the NMCP, who will lead SMC implementation, alongside the regional and district health teams. ACCESS-SMC is supporting each of these levels with technical assistance, and logistical and financial support.

How is SMC being administered?

In Niger, SMC is delivered over four days in each month (a ‘cycle’) by 1,440 trained volunteer Community Health Workers (CHWs).

CHWs deliver SMC using a fixed post methodology. Under this approach, CHWs administer SMC drugs to children at fixed administration points within or close to each of the 480 Health Centers covered by the project.

How will SMC drugs reach the ‘last mile’?

ACCESS-SMC works with Office National des Produits Pharmaceutiques et Chimiques du Niger (ONPPC), Niger’s governmental health commodity supply chain agency, to provide storage and distribution of SMC products from central down to district level.

The district health team manages the distribution from district stores down to the health centers, from where CHWs collect them each day during the SMC cycle, based on their daily distribution plans.  

The flow of SMC drugs through the supply chain system is monitored using a logistics management information system (LMIS) developed by the project. ACCESS-SMC has trained supply chain stakeholders to use this system in advance of SMC delivery.