Tag: World Malaria Day

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling malaria, with the Nyesom Wike-led government intensifying efforts to curb the disease.

The Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr. Adedolapo Fasewe, emphasized the urgency of the campaign, noting that despite being the nation’s capital, the FCT remains vulnerable to the malaria burden.

Fasewe, who disclosed that malaria affects nearly 19% of Abuja’s population, accounting for an estimated 1.4 million cases each year, highlighted that rural communities are disproportionately affected, with only 31.1% of residents having access to insecticide-treated nets, and just 42.2% of children actually sleeping under them.

Speaking in Abuja on Friday at the Asokoro General Hospital, during the commemoration of this year’s World Malaria Day, she said, “As Nigeria joins the world to mark World Malaria Day 2025, the message from the FCT is clear, malaria must end, and it starts with action from every corner of the community.

“Malaria is preventable and treatable, yet it continues to claim lives, especially among children under five, pregnant women, and residents in underserved communities. This must not continue.”

Noting that with the theme ‘Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest. Reimagine. Reignite,’ the Mandate Secretary stressed that this year’s campaign pushes for renewed commitment, innovation, and urgency. 

While addressing a gathering that included stakeholders, development partners, and numerous pregnant and nursing mothers, she assured that the FCT Administration is intensifying its interventions, enhancing surveillance, and collaborating with both local and international partners to tackle malaria hotspots.

“Globally, Nigeria remains the epicentre of the disease. In 2023 alone, the country accounted for 68 million cases, about 27% of the world’s malaria burden.

“Every naira invested today in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment saves lives tomorrow,” she said, emphasizing the need to reinvest in proven tools and reimagine approaches through innovation and technology,” Fasawe said.

While urging parents to take proactive measures, she emphasized that simple actions can make a significant difference in the fight against malaria.

Read Also: WMD: FG targets 30 million under five children for Malaria prevention 

She encouraged residents to sleep under treated mosquito nets, eliminate stagnant water, seek testing at the first sign of symptoms, and raise awareness within their communities.

“The government cannot do it alone. We need parents, teachers, religious leaders, and traditional rulers on board. This is a collective fight.

“Whether you’re a policymaker, a market trader, or a schoolteacher, the message from all speakers was the same: malaria won’t end unless everyone takes responsibility.

“Community chiefs, mothers, health workers—Abuja needs your leadership. Let us build a future where no child dies from a mosquito bite.”

She encouraged mothers and pregnant women in the FCT to take full advantage of government healthcare initiatives, including the FHIS insurance scheme, to improve their well-being and promote economic empowerment.

The Mandate Secretary also enjoined the men across the territory to play their part in curbing the disease by taking advantage of the intervention packages specifically designed for men under the FCT’s malaria prevention program.

In her remarks, Dr. Kumshida Balami, the FCT Coordinator/Health Emergency Response Operations and Integrated Service Delivery at the World Health Organisation (WHO) expressed her organization’s backing of the FCT’s efforts, emphasizing that malaria remains one of the deadliest yet most preventable diseases globally. 

While she noted that routine malaria vaccines and swift case management are saving millions of lives, Balami stressed that much work remains.

“New mosquitoes are moving into urban areas, so we must adapt. Communities need to understand the risk and respond accordingly,” Wassie said, stressing the importance of accurate information and local engagement to curb hesitancy and misinformation.

“We can lead Nigeria in using modern tools to fight malaria effectively. Reignite: Every Abuja resident has a role to play. 

“Ending malaria is not just the government’s job, it is our job. Our Chiefs, guide your communities to use mosquito nets and seek treatment early.  

“Mothers, protect your children and encourage vaccination. Health workers, help everyone get the right care at the right time. Young people, learn and teach others about malaria prevention. 

“We must work together, leaders, mothers, health workers, and the government to make Abuja a malaria-free city,” she said.

Also, the Malaria Consortium emphasized the need to sustain malaria support in the trenches

Dr. Maxwell Kolawole, West and Central Africa Programme Director of the Malaria Consortium, commended Abuja’s malaria response, especially the success of Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC), which he noted has protected thousands of children under five since its launch in 2022.

“Malaria kills one person every minute. Mostly children. And mostly in Africa. We cannot afford to relax. It’s time to reinvest in what works, reimagine new strategies, and reignite leadership from the ground up.”

Represented by Dr. Jennifer Chukwumerije, the Technical Specialist at Malaria Consortium, Kolawole outlined several interventions the Consortium supports in Nigeria, from SMC and behaviour change campaigns like Be In A Net to monitoring drug resistance and strengthening malaria case management in both public and private health sectors.

The District Head of Jikwoyi, Nicodemus Machi, commended the FCT’s health sector initiatives and expressed appreciation for the day’s event, noting that the commemoration would go a long way in educating the residents 

He also called on the Health Services Secretariat to extend its interventions to more remote areas within the FCT.

He called on the government to revive the Voluntary Health Workers scheme, noting that it could serve as an effective tool in delivering interventions to remote areas. 

According to him, the door-to-door strategy of the volunteers would help accelerate the fight against the diseases, not only malaria but knowledge about FCT healthcare interventions.

The highlight of the commemoration was the presentation of free mosquito-treated nets, maternal kits and free malaria treatment.

As the world commemorates World Malaria Day 2025 under the theme “Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,” Nigerian campaigners have sounded the alarm that the country’s dream of ending malaria may remain elusive unless urgent action is taken to strengthen the national health system.

In a statement on Thursday, Francis Nwapa, convener of the #EndMalariaInNigeria campaign, stressed the need for Nigeria to stop relying on foreign aid and instead invest in its own healthcare infrastructure.

“We need to stop relying on aid that has not truly helped us reduce malaria deaths. Nigeria must take ownership of the fight and begin to invest in our hospitals, labs, and environmental health systems,” Nwapa said.

His remarks follow the recent withdrawal of malaria funding to African nations by the United States, a move that has sparked concerns across the continent. 

Nwapa, however, argued that the foreign funds previously allocated were not effectively utilized in Nigeria, accusing some government officials of mismanaging resources meant for malaria control.

The group pointed to the collapse of local efforts like the Nigerian Vaccine Production Centre in Yaba, Lagos, which was once a major producer of vaccines for diseases like smallpox and yellow fever between 1940 and 1991. Today, the facility lies in ruins.

“That centre could have played a major role in producing malaria vaccines today. But it was abandoned. It shows how we’ve failed to build on our own successes,” Nwapa said.

According to the statement, past international projects such as the Roll Back Malaria programme, which involved the World Bank, UNICEF, UNDP, and WHO, did not significantly lower Nigeria’s malaria death rate despite large financial investments.

In recent years, the Nigerian government has launched new efforts like the End Malaria Council, first inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2022 and later re-inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu in 2024. The council is chaired by billionaire Aliko Dangote and includes top business leaders like Femi Otedola and Tony Elumelu.

However, the #EndMalariaInNigeria campaign questioned the effectiveness of the council, criticizing the absence of environmental health experts on the team.

“It feels more like a business project than a real health intervention,” Nwapa said. “Where are the professionals who understand mosquito control and public health?”

The World Health Organization has noted that children from the poorest households in sub-Saharan Africa are five times more likely to contract malaria than those from wealthier homes. In Nigeria, worsening poverty is making it harder for families to access healthcare and live in clean environments.

Nwapa believes that government should prioritize proper housing, constant electricity, and better waste management as part of its malaria control strategy.

Read Also: World Malaria Day: LAWMA boss makes case for clean environment

“Simple things like good drainage, clean water, and power supply can stop mosquitoes from breeding. We must build modern systems to support healthy living,” he said.

Despite being one of the most malaria-endemic countries in the world, Nigeria still records over 100 million cases of malaria every year, contributing to 30% of childhood deaths, 25% of deaths in babies under one year old, and 11% of maternal deaths annually.

In contrast, African countries like Mauritius, Algeria, Egypt, and most recently Cape Verde, have been declared malaria-free by the WHO after recording no local cases for at least three years.

Nwapa concluded by calling on the government to declare a public health emergency on malaria and take full responsibility for protecting its citizens.

“Until our leaders stop flying abroad for treatment and start fixing our health system here at home, Nigerians will continue to die needlessly from a preventable disease,” he said.

The Managing Director/CEO of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Muyiwa Gbadegesin, has underscored the importance of maintaining a clean environment, to combat the spread of malaria.

He said this in a statement marking this year’s World Malaria Day, themed: ‘Accelerating the fight against malaria for a more equitable world’.

The World Health Organization (WHO), had noted that approximately 249 million cases of malaria were reported worldwide in 2022, with an estimated 608,000 deaths, occurring mostly in tropical and sub-tropical regions, and remaining a major global challenge.

He said that while malaria was primarily transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes, the prevalence and severity of the disease could be significantly reduced through preventive measures, anchored on a clean environment, as one of the most effective strategies.

According to him, “In the fight against malaria, prevention is key. One of the most effective preventive measures is to eliminate mosquito breeding sites by ensuring a clean and hygienic environment. 

“Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, waste dumps, and other unhygienic areas. By keeping our homes and surroundings clean, we can significantly reduce mosquito population and consequently, the transmission of malaria.”

Read Also: How to know if your malaria is fever, by Ntadom

Gbadegesin urged residents to actively participate in efforts to maintain a clean environment, by shunning indiscriminate refuse disposal, cleaning their surroundings, and patronising assigned PSP operators, adding that individual actions could have a significant impact on public health outcomes.

“Each of us has a responsibility to keep our surroundings clean. By properly disposing of waste, eliminating stagnant water, and adopting good sanitation practices, we can protect ourselves and our communities from the devastating effects of malaria”, he stressed.

The LAWMA boss reaffirmed the authority’s commitment to promoting environmental cleanliness and public health, with effective collection, transportation, and disposal of solid waste across the state, while also implementing educational campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of environmental hygiene.

“As the world marks World Malaria Day, I want to reassure residents of LAWMA’s total commitment to promoting environmental sustainability and public health. 

“Through collaborative efforts between government agencies, communities, and individuals, a cleaner and healthier environment can be achieved, leading to a significant reduction in the burden of malaria and other vector-borne diseases”, he stressed.”