The USAID-funded Integrated Health Services Activity (IHSA) supported the Ministry of Health of Benin and the National Malaria Control Program (NMCP) to launch an important seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC) campaign, where antimalarial medications are given monthly to treat and prevent the disease. SMC has been implemented in the northern regions of Benin, where malaria transmission is highly seasonal. The government, community leaders, and communities themselves have a strong interest in these campaigns, which include four three-day waves of treatment spaced four weeks apart, as SMC is a proven way to reduce malaria cases and mortality in children under five.
