Nigeria Must Seek Home-Grown Solution to Malaria Scourge, Says Pate

•In-country manufacture of mosquito nets to begin soon 

•Lagos targets less than 1% prevalence rate

•State reviews mid-term results with donor agencies, partners

Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Ali Pate, has said that Nigeria needs to develop and domesticate initiatives to effectively eliminate malaria and other disease burdens afflicting the citizens.

He said that as part of efforts to find a local-driven solution to malaria scourge, a major manufacturer of mosquito bed nets will soon be coming to set up its factory in Nigeria.

According to Pate, more than 600 million mosquito nets have been distributed in the country in the last 20 years to help reduce malaria burden.

The minister who spoke in Abuja at the international conference on malaria with the Theme: “Harnessing Africa’s Central Role for the Big Push Against Malaria,” said that Nigeria and indeed Africa should stop the idea of seeing malaria as someone else’s problem.

He said that with Nigeria and the rest of the African continent bearing the highest burden of malaria to the tune of 90 per cent, finding lasting solutions to the problem must be a continental priority.

With specific reference to Nigeria’s situation, Pate said the country was doing very well with the management of malaria before our independence but suddenly dropped the ball and allowed funding of programmes to be out- sourced to foreign donors.

He said that part of strategies to overcome the dependency on foreign donors for tackling health challenges is the current push for domestic financing and promotion of local manufacturing of drugs and other health commodities.

“Certainly, we cannot continue in the same direction to think that we will get a different result. I think we should leave the idea that it is someone else’s problem. Malaria is our problem, and if we own that problem, then we have to first do what we need to do,” he said.

The Chairman of the House Representative Committee on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Hon. Amobi Ogah, said that African parliamentarians were concerned over the threat malaria has continued to pose to citizens.

To this end, Ogah said the House Committee on ATMTL of the Nigerian parliament has proposed a collective and holistic approach to solving public interest in Africa.

“We cannot talk about malaria without talking about HIV, AIDS and tuberculosis. Enough is enough, we can’t continue to take two steps forward and five steps backwards. We are willing to focus on homegrown innovations, innovative solutions to our problems.

“Therefore, the Committee is proposing to African Parliament and what went establishing was multi sector driven agency that will confront and combat the serious issues of AIDS, TB and Malaria in Africa has concluded, that establishing National Agency for Control of ATM  to be known as the National Agency for Control of AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria,” he said.

He said the proposal for the amendment will be read for the first time the National Assembly resumes from its vacation later this month. He explained that the new agency will draw funding for his operation from revenue accruing from the proportion of taxes on Tobacco alcohol and other luxury items. 

Ogah also said that the House of Representatives will be pushing for a special budget line to address the malaria problem in the country.

Chairman of the Partnership to End Malaria, Dr. Michael Adekunle Charles, said there is a need for the world to come together to make a big push against malaria, adding that at the moment we still have over 263 million malaria cases and over 600,000 that die from malaria every year.

Meanwhile, Lagos State may be moving from the stage of malaria control to the phase of total elimination of the parasite causing the illness, a report released on Thursday suggested.

The State’s Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, said about 40,000 malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (mRDTs) conducted in the State by Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) and Community Pharmacies (CPs) revealed a notably low malaria positivity rate, signalling Lagos’ readiness to move beyond malaria control to true elimination.

The Commissioner shared a progress report with partners and stakeholders at the mid-term review of the Pathway to Malaria Pre-elimination and Digitisation Programme held in Lagos, stressing that data from public health facilities also showed sustained reductions in malaria positivity rate. This, the Commissioner said, underscored the coherence of the statewide approach.

The revelation excited the partners working with the State Government on the World Bank-funded Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress by Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services (IMPACT) project, prompting them to sign on to the Government’s efforts to consolidate on the progress.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in his address, said the digitisation programme had set a measurable goal for the State, enhancing the momentum to further reduce malaria prevalence in Lagos to pre-elimination levels.

Sanwo-Olu said the State specifically targeted a prevalence rate that would be below one per cent, stressing that the new pushback against the disease focused on improving diagnostics, ensuring consistent treatment, and enlightening the community.

By implementing real-time reporting systems and utilising digital platforms in public and private facilities, the Governor said the information gap that used to slow down diagnosis, reporting, and response times would be bridged.

He said: “When the Pathway to Malaria Pre-elimination and Digitisation Programme was kicked off in March, we had a clear goal in mind: to transform hope into tangible results and to shift Lagos from a high burden of malaria to pre-elimination, which will ultimately pave the way for a malaria-free future. The mid-term review is a crucial step in making that ambition a reality and ensuring we have a lasting impact.

“Since we launched the initiative, we have been committed to harness evidence-based data, technology and collaboration. The IMPACT Project, which is backed by both national and international funding sources, including support from the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank, has played a vital role in financing and providing technical assistance for our efforts in Lagos and beyond. This funding has allowed us to expand targeted activities at key points of care and has strengthened our ability to monitor our progress.

“Through partnerships with innovative companies, we are enhancing diagnostic accuracy, standardising case management, and integrating private providers into the state surveillance system. These initiatives enable the State to respond more swiftly and allocate resources where they are needed most. This programme has set a clear, measurable goal for us, as we aim to reduce malaria prevalence to pre-elimination levels; specifically, below 1 per cent, by improving diagnostics, ensuring consistent treatment, and engaging the community at large.”

Sanwo-Olu said the mid-term review examined three key areas critical to consolidating on the gains made from rollout of the initiative. He said the digitised reporting systems had made information accessible, while making data visibility a cornerstone of accountability.

The Governor said the review also focused on the scale and quality of the intervention, urging more adherence to standardised treatment protocols that would guarantee access to appropriate care at affordable rates. He, however, cautioned that treatment quality must not be compromised by the need to scale up numbers.

Sanwo-Olu said incorporating the community into the pushback against malaria would help eliminate the disease’s breeding sites. He called for improved communication to build strong community support.

The Governor said: “Today’s mid-term review should provide us with a solid operational plan for the next quarter: identifying hotspots for increased surveillance, retraining schedules for private providers, metrics to track test-before-treatment adherence, and a timeline for fully integrating reported data into the State health dashboard.

“To all Lagosians, this fight is just as much yours as it is mine. Every little action counts, whether it is getting rid of standing water, using treated nets when needed, or getting tested before taking antimalarials. These small steps can lead to significant change. Residents must set an example for our health workers by testing, recording, treating properly, and reporting. If each of us plays our part, we will make great strides toward eliminating malaria and reaching a point where it is no longer a common issue in our State.”

Abayomi said the Ministry of Health had stepped up regulation and quality assurance, with Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) intensifying its oversight to reduce disparities in service delivery and reinforce equity across public and private care.

“Together, we are consolidating gains and building irreversible momentum. With unity of purpose and courage of conviction, we will continue to scale our efforts and move Lagos ever closer to the ultimate prize, which is a future free from the scourge of malaria,” the Commissioner said.