The Federal Government has said in spite of its efforts and its partners, to combat the effects of malaria in Nigeria, the country still accounts for 27% of global malaria cases and 32% of global malaria deaths.
It is also estimated that approximately 55 million cases of malaria and nearly 90,000 malaria-related deaths occur each year in our country.
The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire in his speech at the commemoration of 2023 World Malaria Day, lamented the adverse effects of the disease on the nation’s economy as he said: “Malaria also has an adverse effect on the economy of our nation as it is the major cause of absenteeism in schools, offices, businesses, markets and thereby reducing the income of families, including the hardship of out-of-pocket expenses borne by Nigerians yearly for diagnosis and treatment.
Ehanire who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mamman Mahmuda also disclosed that the out-of-pocket expenditure for malaria is estimated to be over 70% and Nigerians pay as much as N2,280.00 on each malaria.
According to him: “The economic burden of malaria in Nigeria was estimated at $1.6b (N687 billion) in 2022 and may increase to about $2.8b (N2 trillion) in 2030”.
“It is important to note that successful control of malaria will increase productivity, improve health, reduce school absenteeism, reduce poverty and facilitate the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals”.
“Consequently, we must continue to fight to achieve zero malaria by 2030, in line with the World Health Organization’s Global Technical Strategy”.
“The theme of this year’s celebration is “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement and the slogan is “Act now”.
“This is a clarion call to the populace, particularly those of us who live in malaria-endemic regions, who account for most of the burden and deaths, to avail ourselves of the available tools and strategies to enable us to reach those in need. It is a call to:
“Invest in efforts to defeat malaria. In this regard, we must ensure that funding is prioritized for the most marginalized and hard-to-reach populations who are less able to access services and are hardest hit when they become ill. b) Invest in and step-up innovative strategies and interventions that are impactful”.
“These include innovations that bring new vector control approaches, including the use of new generation insecticidal nets and PBO nets to mitigate the effects of widespread insecticide resistance being observed across Nigeria and other malaria-endemic countries as well as step up surveillance for the recently discovered Anopheles stephensi species of mosquito in Nigeria, with its potential for breeding in different settings and transmitting urban malaria and Plasmodium vivax infection which was previously uncommon to West Africa”.
“The theme also calls for scaling up malaria diagnostics, and use of new malaria medicines to accelerate progress in the fight against malaria and support for malaria operational research and surveillance to guide impactful implementation. We are indeed calling on both the public and private sectors to act now”.
While stating Nigeria’s achievements in malaria elimination in Nigeria, the Minister said Nigeria is witnessing gradual reductions in malaria prevalence from 27% in 2015 to 23% in 2018 and 22% in 2021.
“We could have done better had the programme accessed early, the loan from the IMPACT project under the World Bank and Islamic Bank funding to fill the gaps in malaria programme implementation, particularly in 12 states that had not received any significant donor funding for malaria implementation in recent years”
“WHO recommends that universal coverage with LLINS remains the mainstay for vector control for all people at risk of malaria, to be complemented by the targeted use of indoor residual spraying where possible”.
“It also recommends a combination of population-based mass distributions and continuous distribution channels for LLINS to reach all populations at risk. In this regard, Nigeria distributed over 130.42 million LLINS campaigns in 33 states and over 16.3 million LLINS was distributed through the continuous channels (antenatal and immunization clinics) between 2015 and 2020, while an additional 91,616,860 LLINS were distributed through campaigns between 2021-2022”.
He therefore said, Nigeria is working hard to ensure effective and efficient LLIN distribution through the use of innovative technology – ICT4D and similar applications.
“The percentage of pregnant women who slept under ITN increased from 49% (2015) to 58% (2018) but declined to 50% in 2021; the percentage of children U5 who slept under ITN increased from 44% (2015) to 52% (2018) but declined to 41% in 2021”.
“The major reason for this decline is due to the incomplete coverage of interventions in all the states as a result of delayed take-off of the IMPACT Project”. He said.
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