As part of activities to mark the World Malaria Day, the United States and Nigeria has reaffirmed its partnership to support healthy communities.
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), Deputy Mission Director, Sara Werth, on April 25 reaffirmed the U.S. government’s support for Nigeria in the fight against malaria during the country’s annual World Malaria Day commemoration.
The event was an opportunity to highlight the partnership between the United States and Nigeria to protect people from malaria and support healthy communities.
Malaria, a life-threatening disease caused by parasites transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, occurs regularly and is widespread across Nigeria.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that Nigeria had nearly 67 million cases in 2022 accounting for 27 per cent of the global malaria burden. Also in 2022, Nigeria accounted for 31 per cent of global deaths and 38 per cent of global deaths in children under the age of five.
Worldwide, the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) has helped save over 10.6 million lives and prevented 1.7 billion malaria infections since 2000. PMI has partnered with Nigeria to fight malaria since 2011, contributing $914 million to date and $73 million in 2023. USAID, through PMI funding and programmes, delivered 13.4 million bed nets, 6 million fast-acting medicines, and 11.8 million Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests to clinics and communities in Nigeria over the past year.
In 2023, more than 7,200 health workers were trained to strengthen their skills in malaria detection, treatment, and how to provide lifesaving care for their communities.
Speaking at the event, USAID Nigeria Deputy Mission Director Sara Werth lauded the Federal Ministry of Health for collaborating with the United States government and working to foster robust and effective malaria services in the future. “As we reflect on the challenges and triumphs in our collective battle against malaria, let us reaffirm our commitment to a future where no family in Nigeria fears the threat of this disease,” remarked Sara Werth.
She continued, “I urge the government of Nigeria to invest in making malaria programming more efficient and effective using data and other evidence to inform malaria implementation and drive faster results.”
PMI’s Annual Report, released yesterday, showcases how PMI is supporting partner countries, such as Nigeria, to advance the fight against malaria and create more effective and resilient health systems.
U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator, Dr. David Walton, said from Washington, DC, “I commend the energy, dedication, and ingenuity of those working on the front lines to protect their communities from malaria.
The United States is committed to working hand in hand with the people of Nigeria as we pursue our joint vision of a malaria-free future.”
The U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) supports 27 partner countries in sub-Saharan Africa and three programmes across the Greater Mekong Subregion in Southeast Asia to control and eliminate malaria. Led by USAID and implemented together with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PMI delivers cost-effective, lifesaving malaria interventions,such as insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, and essential medicines, and invests in health workers and health systems to accelerate the global fight against this deadly disease.
Thanks to the generosity of the American people, more than 700 million people benefits from PMI each year.
