The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has announced that Nigeria is responsible for 27 percent of the world’s malaria prevalence, with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) accounting for 5 percent of that figure.
This revelation was made during a ceremony in Abuja marking the launch of a programme to distribute malaria medications and free testing kits.
FCT Mandate Secretary for Health Services and the Environment Secretariat, Dr. Dolapo Fasawe highlighted the ongoing threat of malaria, particularly to children under five and women.
“Only one thing causes malaria, which is the mosquito. If we can eliminate mosquitoes, we can eliminate malaria,” she stated.
Fasawe further explained that Nigeria has the highest malaria prevalence in the world, with a 2024 survey by the World Health Organisation revealing that 1.4 million residents of the FCT suffer from the disease, that given the FCT’s population of approximately 5 to 6 million, this figures out to a 5 percent malaria prevalence rate.
“The fight against malaria is a fight for life; in every five minutes, a child dies from malaria in Nigeria. Our goal is to eradicate malaria from the FCT and the nation as a whole.” she said.
She said that the administration is providing free test kits and treatments, adding that a 2024 survey revealed that 60 percent of children presenting at health facilities in the FCT showed clear signs of malaria.
The Mandate Secretary assured the public that all healthcare facilities in the FCT would receive free health kits and medications, warning that any facility found selling them would be penalised.
She disclosed that the insecticide-treated nets would be distributed to pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Fasawe, while pointing out the preventable nature of malaria, asserted that effective treatment could significantly reduce the incidence of the disease, that the two-year programme will ensure continuous supply of drugs through timely procurement.
Earlier, the acting Permanent Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat, Dr Abubakar Ahmadi said that the programme aimed to enhance healthcare access and reduce the financial burden on households.
He called on healthcare providers to use the kits and medicines responsibly.
Also, a representative of Famkris Healthcare Initiative, one of the partnering NGOs, Dr. Maureen Ugochuku, noted that malaria remains Nigeria’s most pressing public health challenge.
She highlighted the economic implications, stating that households often expend limited resources on treatment, leading to business disruptions during malaria outbreaks.
The project is co-funded by the Islamic Development Bank, demonstrating a collaborative effort to combat malaria in the region.
