The federal government has revealed that Nigeria is making major progress in the fight against malaria, averting an estimated 18 million cases every year.
This was made known by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, on Thursday during his inaugural address at the 2025 Joint Annual Review of the Health Sector in Abuja.
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Mr Salako during his speech, outlined efforts to strengthen the country’s health system resilience and expand access to essential healthcare services.
He said the government’s malaria control programme forms a key pillar of the nation’s strategy to build a resilient and inclusive health system.
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He noted that between 2021 and 2023, 63 million insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) were distributed nationwide, bringing coverage to about 70 per cent of households.
Meanwhile, 51 per cent of pregnant women now receive intermittent preventive therapy (IPTp), a vital intervention against pregnancy-related malaria.
“These interventions are not merely numbers; they reflect the tangible impact of coordinated investment in protecting our most vulnerable populations,” he said.
He stressed that sustaining these gains requires continued political commitment, effective community engagement, and strengthened primary healthcare services, particularly in rural areas where malaria remains endemic.
The National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) recently said it has distributed over 320 million Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) and 450 million blisters of Sulfadoxine Pyrimethamine and Amodiaquine (SPAQ) to children under five years since 2009.
Malaria, a disease caused by a parasite spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes, kills thousands of people yearly, mostly children in sub-Saharan Africa.
The introduction of malaria vaccine, now available in Nigeria offers hope that the world may eliminate the disease.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, had earlier said malaria costs Nigeria over $1.1 billion in annual losses to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Mr Pate said Nigeria accounts for 27 per cent of global malaria cases and 31 per cent of global malaria deaths, making the disease a burden on the nation.
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He added that in 2022 alone, over 180,000 Nigerian children under the age of five lost their lives to malaria.
“This is not just a health crisis; it is an economic and developmental emergency,” he said.
“Malaria reduces productivity, increases out-of-pocket health expenditures and compounds the challenges of poverty.”
He said the annual loss to Nigeria’s GDP from malaria is a reminder of the economic imperative of its elimination.
