Nigeria’s Leading Role In Global Fight Against Malaria

Since coming back to power in 2019 for his second and final term, President Muhammadu Buhari has shown his determination to wage a relentless war against the Malaria parasite which has killed millions of Nigerians, particularly infants and children.

Inaugurating a 16-member National End-Malaria Council, NEMC, President Buhari projected that the successful implementation of the Council’s agenda and savings from the estimated economic burden of the disease would “save Nigeria about N687 billion this year and N2 trillion by 2030.” This is no doubt achievable given the commitment of President Buhari’s administration.

It is indisputable, like the President told the Council, that beyond improving the quality of life, health and well-being of Nigerians, the concerted strategy to tackle malaria had both public health and socio-economic benefits for Nigeria.

As a result of PMB’s unflinching commitment to eliminate malaria in Nigeria in particular and Africa in general, elimination of malaria remains his government’s priority as the National End-Malaria Council will provide a platform for more funding to protect and sustain progress so far.

Indeed well meaning people in and out of the country are expressing concern that the age-long disease had remained a major public health challenge in Nigeria and Africa, threatening more lives.

Even the World Health Organisation, WHO, 2021 report  had shown that Nigeria alone accounts for 27% of all cases of Malaria and 32% of deaths globally.

Malaria remains one of the biggest killers of children under five. In 2020, nearly half a million boys and girls died from the disease in Africa alone, a rate of one death every minute

It is on record that President Buhari expressed appreciation to the Chairman of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance, ALMA, President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya for continuous support to the programme. Contributions of Global Fund, the United States Agency for International Development, USAID,  the President’s Malaria Initiative, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO, UNICEF, UK Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office along side other implementing partners, and the private sector must be placed on record and accordingly appreciated by all and sundry.

In his acceptance speech as Chairman of NEMC, Aliko Dangote was unequivocal in thanking the President and all members of the Council for entrusting him with the enormous responsibility, pledging to work hard to achieve the mandate to mobilise the private sector to support malaria control in Nigeria and Africa at large.

It will be recalled that in 2016, Aliko Dangote Foundation supported the development of a Private Sector Engagement Strategy for Malaria Elimination in Nigeria.

It is also on record that a recent discovery of a new malaria vector called anopheles stephensi in northern Nigeria has become a cog in the wheel of progress in the fight against malaria.

Prof. Babatunde Salako, Director General of the Nigeria Institute of Medical Research, NIMR who confirmed the discovery, described the vector as rugged and very difficult to eradicate.

As part of its widow’s mite,  MIMR is working on developing a vaccine to deal with the vector.

Globally, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF has awarded a contract to a pharmaceutical company, GSK to produce the world’s first malaria vaccine with the sole aim of enabling millions of children to be protected against the killer disease.

The landmark award valued  at $170 million, will lead to 18 million doses of the RTS vaccine being available over the next three years.

One can confidently say that this is a giant step forward in our collective efforts to save children’s lives and reduce the burden of malaria as part of wider malaria prevention and control programs,” she said.

Malaria is caused by parasites and transmitted to humans through infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. While the disease is preventable and curable, it can be fatal if left untreated.

More than 30 countries have areas with moderate to high malaria transmission, according to data from the World Health Organization, WHO, and the vaccine could provide added protection to more than 25 million children each year once supply ramps up.

 

BY MUSA ILALLAH

EMEKA ANYAOKU STREET

ABUJA

musahk123@yahoo.com

Subscribe to our newsletter for latest news and updates. You can disable anytime.