Nigeria Loses $1.1bn Annually to Malaria — Minister

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate has revealed that malaria costs Nigeria over $1.1 billion annually in lost Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

According to a statement by the Ministry’s Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, Prof. Pate who made this disclosure at the inaugural meeting of the Advisory on Malaria Elimination in Nigeria (AMEN), described malaria as a pressing economic and developmental emergency, underscoring the need for its elimination.

“Nigeria accounts for 27 per cent of global malaria cases and 31 per cent of global malaria deaths,” the minister stated.

“In 2022 alone, over 180,000 Nigerian children under the age of five lost their lives to malaria. This is not just a health crisis; it is an economic and developmental emergency. Malaria reduces productivity, increases out-of-pocket health expenditures, and compounds the challenges of poverty.”

He noted that the introduction of the malaria vaccine, now available in Nigeria, offered renewed hope in the fight against the disease.

Prof. Pate emphasised that the launch of AMEN marked a bold step toward tackling the scourge, aligning with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and the administration’s renewed hope agenda.

He highlighted the importance of involving traditional and religious leaders in driving grassroots support and behavioural change, complementing AMEN’s advocacy for the use of insecticide-treated nets, chemoprevention, and vaccines.

In his remarks, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Iziaq Salako, stressed the critical role of the advisory council in guiding Nigeria toward a malaria-free future.

“The group of experts will provide evidence-based advisory to help the country reduce its unacceptable malaria burden. For us to succeed, the private sector, international partners, healthcare workers, and the communities we serve must be harnessed and coordinated,” he said.

The advisory body, comprising globally renowned experts, was tasked with developing evidence-based solutions, ensuring malaria elimination was prioritised in government budgets, and creating accountability frameworks to sustain progress.

LEADERSHIP recalls that malaria, caused by parasites transmitted through mosquito bites, remained a major health challenge in sub-Saharan Africa.