Nigeria is responsible for a staggering 31 percent of global malaria deaths and 27 percent of total cases worldwide, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako,has said.
He revealed this alarming statistic on Friday at the 2025 World Malaria Day commemoration in Abuja.
According to him, malaria remains one of Nigeria’s most pressing public health challenges, especially affecting children under five and pregnant women.
“This disease not only causes suffering and death, but it also disrupts the economic ecosystem by hindering productivity and increasing healthcare costs,” Dr. Salako said.
He attributed the country’s intensified fight against malaria to the high-level political support from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, noting that malaria elimination is top on the health agenda of the current administration.
Dr. Salako highlighted several federal government interventions, including the Rethinking Malaria Initiative, which adopts sub-national tailoring of interventions and the establishment of the Advisory on Malaria Elimination in Nigeria (AMEN).
He said these efforts are already driving change.
In a strategic move, the federal government plans to distribute insecticide-treated mosquito nets across 12 states, including Akwa Ibom, Delta, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Ondo, Oyo, Taraba, and Yobe. Additionally, over 30 million children under five in the northern region will benefit from Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC).
The Minister also announced the first-pilot of Larval Source Management in six states—Abia, Borno, Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo, and Rivers. Furthermore, the phased rollout of the malaria vaccine, which began in December 2024 in Kebbi and Bayelsa, will expand to 17 more states this year.
In response to the U.S. “Stop Work Order” affecting malaria activities by USAID/PMI, Dr. Salako assured Nigerians that the federal government has made budgetary provisions to bridge the funding gap and will procure life-saving commodities such as ACTs, RDT kits, injectable artesunate, and preventive drugs for pregnant women.
He also announced two major surveys—the Rapid Impact Assessment and the Malaria Indicator Survey—to monitor the effectiveness of interventions and track disease prevalence nationwide.
Acknowledging the critical role of partners including WHO, UNICEF, Global Fund, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Dr. Salako commended the Nigeria End Malaria Council chaired by business magnate Alhaji Aliko Dangote for mobilizing private sector support in the fight.
He implored Nigerians to “take personal responsibility” by sleeping under mosquito nets, maintaining clean environments, and seeking early diagnosis and treatment.
