The Federal government has renewed its commitment to eliminate and strengthen the fight against malaria through collaborative efforts with key players in the private and public sectors.
This action is part of the implementation plans of the federal government on the subnational level to curb the disease and tailor interventions toward its elimination in Nigeria.
Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, stated this during the 2025 World Malaria Day in Abuja.
With the theme, “Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reignite, Reimagine,” and the Slogan: “Stay Committed,” the minister explained that through the support of strategic partners, the government has put evidence-based interventions in place to achieve malaria-free Nigeria by 2030.
This year, 12 states are expected to adopt the intervention, which involves expanding access to insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
Salako clarified that the procedure has been started in six states, including Abia, Imo, Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, and Rivers States, and that the distribution would be carried out in states that are eligible for Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC), giving 30 million children access to preventative medications.
Speaking on the situation of malaria in Nigeria, Daju Kachollom, the permanent secretary Federal Ministry of Health, bemoaned that the government has been battling with the high burden of malaria for over 70 years.
Speaking on behalf of Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, the coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Kachollom underlined that in an agrarian country like this, instability, humanitarian efforts, and climate change are some of the elements that impact the treatment and perhaps the eradication of malaria.
According to her, Nigeria has achieved great progress in lowering the prevalence of malaria, with cases and fatalities falling by 20% and 25%, respectively, since 2010.
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Kachollom urged the donors to support the government’s efforts, acknowledging the necessity of mobilising funds to eradicate malaria in cooperation with the private sector and development partners.
“No doubt some progress has been made, as we have seen through the artwork that has been done by Ella. But there’s still much more for us to do to fully eliminate this deadly disease,” she said.
Ella Onyebe, a hearing-impaired artist who lost her brother to malaria, created a multimedia, data-inspired artwork titled: “Guided by Stars: A Journey from Loss Toward Zero Malaria in Nigeria,” which weaves together personal grief, cultural expression, and public health advocacy. The artwork, supported by the Gates Foundation, was presented at the ceremony.
