The World Health Organization (WHO) Tuesday said the malaria death rate in Nigeria has dropped by 55%, from 2.1 per 1000 population to 0.9 per 1000 population.
The WHO, Regional Director for Africa, Dr Matshidiso Moeti, made this known on Monday during the 2022 Nigeria Malaria Report in Abuja at the high-level meeting with the Ministers of Health and Social Welfare with the Joint Mission by the Executive Director, Global Fund and the United States Global AIDS Coordinator to Nigeria.
“Nigeria has made great strides in improving the health of its population,” he said.
Dr Moeti added that the country made progress on HIV between 2015 and 2021, meeting two of the 95-95-95 goals, and tuberculosis intervention coverage is improving, with increasing case detection over the same period.
“The African Region carries a high proportion of the global malaria burden, accounting for about 95% of all malaria cases and 96% of all malaria deaths in 2021.
“While Nigeria accounts for around 27% of the global burden of malaria cases, the country has seen major progress.
“Malaria incidence has fallen by 26% since 2000 from 413 per 1000 to 302 per 1000 in 2021.
“Further, learning from COVID-19, we know that continuity of provision of essential health services is critical to interventions in malaria and other diseases, particularly in populations affected by humanitarian emergencies; and changing environmental factors, such as climate change, and farming and mining practices that may increase transmission.
“Addressing the prevention, elimination, and control of malaria and the burden from other diseases requires critical data and information gathering for evidence-based investment and decision-making,” she said.
