Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, has stated that persisting high burden of malaria scourge is no longer acceptable.In his opening remarks at the roundtable discussion on Rethinking Malaria Elimination in Nigeria, held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Prof. Pate said the situation can be blamed on lack of political commitment or human capacity to bring an end to the scourge of malaria.
He said: “It is unacceptable that more than 70 years since Nigeria began implementing programmes to eliminate malaria, it still bears 30 per cent of the global burden, with an estimated annual 68 million cases and 194,000 deaths from the disease as of 2021.“This is not due to lack of political commitment or human capacity within Africa to bring an end to the scourge of malaria but, I would say, because of insufficient focus and commitment.”
The minister recalled that exactly 24 years ago, on April 25, 2000, during the African Summit on Roll Back Malaria in Abuja, over 44 Heads of Government and development partners signed the Abuja Declaration on Roll Back Malaria, outlining several objectives and a plan of action to combat malaria in Africa.However, in terms of the progress made so far across the scales, Pate wondered if Nigeria has sufficiently raised awareness about the severity of malaria as a public health issue or has taken the requisite action to control and eventually eliminate malaria.
“In the face of the scourge of malaria, have we mobilised enough financial and technical resources to support malaria control efforts in Nigeria and other African countries, including both domestic and international funding, as well as technical assistance from organisations and governments?“Have we invested in strengthening our health systems towards improving malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment targeting infrastructure, training healthcare workers, and improving access to essential malaria interventions?”
He posed pertinent questions about the approaches being adopted to improve equitable access to prevention and treatment such as insecticide-treated bed nets and antimalarial drugs, as well as prompt and effective treatment for those infected with malaria through expanding coverage and reaching vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and children
Pate said that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as part of achieving the Renewed Hope Agenda for improved quality health outcomes for all Nigerians, launched the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII) backed by a compact among the 36 state governors, FCT minister, development partners, and civil society.Anchored on a sector-wide approach.
He said that the significant increase of the fiscal allocation for health in the 2024 budget towards achieving the objectives of the NHSRII is a clear testimony of his commitment to positively changing Nigeria’s health sector, including in winning the fight against malaria.
He said that the President approved that every actor within the Nigerian health sector must commit to adopting a common template in efforts to develop and implement initiatives to save lives, reduce physical and financial pain, and produce health for all Nigerians.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Tunji Alausa who moderated panellists discussion on the way forward in tackling malaria in Nigeria, said the ministry is determined to put in place an enabling environment and structures for “our development partners in service delivery to help combat the menace of malaria disease that has lingered for so long.”
While welcoming participants, the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Mrs. Daju Kachallom, said the country accounted for 27 per cent of global malaria cases and 31 per cent of global deaths based on the 2023 World Malaria Report issued by the World Health Organisation.
“Moreover, from 2009 till date, more than 230 million insecticide treated nets (ITNs) have been distributed in the 37 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“According to the 2021 Malaria Indicator Cluster Survey, the proportion of the population who slept under ITNs the night before the survey increased from 22.9 per cent in 2010 to 36.4 per cent in 2021,” she said.
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