Last week, the federal government reaffirmed its commitment to rid the country of malaria menace by 2030. The renewed commitment was made at the launch of the Malaria Pre-Elimination and Digitisation programme in Lagos by the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako.
He said a combined effort with the federal government’s initiatives would drive Nigeria’s progress towards malaria elimination. The event was attended by stakeholders, including the World Bank, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Lagos state governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The success of the programme is expected to contribute to Nigeria’s efforts to eliminate malaria by 2030. The programme, initiated by the Lagos state government, aimed to improve malaria diagnosis, case management, and tracking through digital health solutions in Lagos state.
The minister said the initiative was part of the Federal Ministry of Health’s ‘Rethinking Malaria’ concept, launched in April 2024, noting that Lagos state had consistently shown the lowest malaria prevalence in Nigeria, with a 2% prevalence rate in 2021.
He further said the programme’s focus on the private sector was crucial given the fact that approximately 50 to 60 per cent of patients seek treatment in private health facilities.
Salako assured Nigerians that with the recent changes in the United State Government, global health funding policy would not adversely affect the country’s malaria elimination programme with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approving a mechanism to ensure adequate funding.
The battle to contain or end the scourge in the country appears to be an eternal one. Successive administrations have rolled out several initiatives in recent years aimed at rescuing vulnerable Nigerians from the lethal grip of the menace. In 2021, the Buhari administration launched a National Malaria Strategic Plan (NMSP 2021 – 2025). It was aimed at reducing malaria deaths and parasite prevalence as well as improving access to malaria prevention and treatment. Before then, there were other initiatives like the Roll Back Malaria Programme (RBMP) that encouraged the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets. In spite of all these concerted efforts, malaria still remains a major health challenge in the country.
ln fact, no one immune to malaria attacks. The disease sickens and kills faster than any other ailment in tropical environments – the most endangered among its victims are the sub-five infants owing to their low immunity. Wrong treatment of malaria-induced illness suffered by pregnant women in their trimester is also known to cause abortion and/or congenital deformities. In the endemic areas, at least two out of every 10 pregnant women succumb to the menace.
Disturbed by the scourge, especially in the developing countries, the World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of the WHO, in May 2007 set aside April 25 every year as World Malaria Day, with the cardinal objective cardinal objective of providing education and understanding of malaria and spreading information on the all-year-round implementation of national malaria-control strategies, including community-based activities for malaria prevention and treatment in endemic areas.
About four or so years ago, the WHO approved a vaccine to prevent malaria ailment that has ravaged Africa and other tropical nations of the world for centuries. Research efforts about the vaccine had been going on for years. However, many did not believe that there would ever be a breakthrough. The fears were hinged on the counter-moves expected from those profiting from the misfortunes of millions of victims ravaged by the killer, non-communicable disease.
The vaccine – Mosquirix or RTS.S – was developed by a reputable British drug manufacturing company, GlaxoSmithKline. According to reports, over 2.3m doses of the vaccine have been administered to infants, who are the most vulnerable victims, in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi.
The Director-General of the WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who announced the breakthrough, had said, “This is a vaccine developed in Africa by African scientists and we are very proud.”
Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease of humans. And it is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, including much of Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Americas. There are over 100 species of malaria parasite, the deadliest being the Plasmodium Falciparum, found in Africa where close to 400,000 deaths are recorded almost on a yearly basis.
| Thedisease results from the multiplication of malaria parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, and in severe cases progressing to coma and death. Malaria is not just a disease commonly associated with poverty but also a cause of poverty and a major hindrance to economic development. The disease has been associated with major negative economic effects on regions where it is widespread. |
Beyond the global efforts at eradicating the malady, the most effective preventive measure is to address the basic factors that fuel the disease. These include grinding poverty, inaccessibility to good medicare, fake drugs, poor sanitary conditions and bushy environments that breed the insects in the neighbourhoods.
In the pre-colonial era, emphasis was placed more on prevention. There were sanitary inspectors whose duty was to comb the surroundings and ensure that the basic conditions that helped the killer insects to populate did not exist. Gutters were kept clean and disinfectants were regularly sprayed by health workers.
Be that as it may, we urge the federal government to work in tandem with the other tiers of government to ensure that the 2030 target becomes a reality rather than a mirage as witnessed in recent years. Malaria has proven to be a tough contender that should not be handled with kid gloves.