Nigeria Shoulders 25% of World Malaria Burden.

The Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole, on Thursday said malaria was still a public health challenge in Nigeria, noting that the World Malaria Report said Nigeria accounted for 25 per cent of global malaria burden.

Adewole spoke at the commemoration of 2019 World Malaria Day in Abuja, which had the theme, ‘Zero malaria starts with me.’ The minister said every Nigerian had a role to play in the eradication of malaria, stating four key elements to live a malaria-free life. He also stated that the malaria burden on Nigeria was reducing because of government intervention programmes on malaria.

He said, “There are simple things to do: Keep our environment clean, sleep inside the long lasting insecticidal nets, when feverish, please go for a test and if positive, ensure that you are treated with Artemisinin-based combination therapy.”

“According to the World Malaria Report, Nigeria still accounts for 25 per cent of the global malaria burden. We also account for 19 per cent of deaths from malaria. Through funding, malaria control has remained relatively stable since 2010. The World Malaria Day celebration provides us the opportunity to review our strategies and up the tempo with a view to reducing significantly the burden of malaria in our beloved country.”