SiWith high rate of children mortality faced in Nigeria, where report evidence that one in ten children dies before age five, a new initiative is showing potential to turn the tide on this long-standing public health crisis.
The Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) has launched SARMAAN — Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance of Mass Administration of Azithromycin in Nigeria — to combat infant mortality using azithromycin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic.
In SARMAAN’s first phase, over four million infants aged one to 11 months received the drug in six high-risk states: Kano, Kebbi, Jigawa, Sokoto, Abia, and Akwa Ibom.
According to Prof. Oliver Ezechi, SARMAAN’s lead investigator, the programme aims to determine whether periodic azithromycin use can reduce deaths in areas with limited healthcare.
While such mass administration raises concerns about antimicrobial resistance (AMR), SARMAAN tackled this through rigorous surveillance.
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Remarkably, resistance rates dropped over three testing cycles — from 41.1% to 26.5% — challenging assumptions that mass antibiotic use inevitably worsens resistance.
The project’s early success suggests that, with proper monitoring, antibiotics like azithromycin can save lives without fueling resistance.
NIMR plans to expand SARMAAN, potentially offering a model for similar efforts across Africa.
