The House of Representatives says lack of adequate Domestic Financing, inadequate use of local content in terms of production as well as the patronage of locally made Long Lasting Insecticide Nets, LLINs and antimalarial drugs are key challenges to ending malaria in Nigeria.
The House Spokesperson, Benjamin Kalu, in a statement to commemorate this year’s ‘World Malaria Day’, stated that four African countries, including Nigeria, accounted for over half of all malaria deaths worldwide.
Kalu said that “Nigeria alone accounted for (31.3%) of global malaria deaths, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12.6%), the United Republic of Tanzania (4.1%), and Niger (3.9%).”
He stated that malaria remained a significant public health challenge with an estimated 97 million cases and 300,000 deaths annually.
Noting that although progress has been made in reducing the burden of this disease, he said much work still needed to be done to eliminate it.
Kalu said; “The latest World Malaria Report shows that the WHO African Region bears a high percentage of the global malaria burden, with Nigeria having the highest burden in the world. In 2022, the African region bears the burden with approximately 95% of all malaria cases and 96% of deaths, with children under the age of five accounting for 80% of all malaria deaths. Four African countries, including Nigeria, accounted for over half of all malaria deaths worldwide. Nigeria alone accounted for (31.3%) of global malaria deaths, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12.6%), the United Republic of Tanzania (4.1%), and Niger (3.9%).
“To address this, the sum of over $ 300 million has been approved under the World Bank and the Islamic Bank IMPACT projects to address and complement donor support. However, this effort is at a slow speed in implementation despite the passage of the legislative resolution in December 2021 to access the credit facility, none of the essential commodities has been procured.”
The lawmaker said that the key areas of challenge to addressing the Malaria burden in Nigeria have been issues of donor dependence for malaria intervention in the country.
He however decried the lukewarm attitude of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, NMEP, leadership and slow actions from UNOPs the procurement agency for Islamic Bank funding and the World Bank has affected the urgent procurements of these commodities despite the availability of the funds and commodities locally produce in Nigeria.
“This has given the members of the National Assembly as reported by the Chairman AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (ATM) committee of the House, a great concern due to the lack of procurement of these commodities. With the onset of the rainy season and its after mass of flooding leading to a surge in mosquito breeding and increasing malaria morbidity, mortality and more death of Nigerians, the House calls for immediate action to save more lives,” Kalu said.
He also called on the NMEP, UNOPs and the World Bank to fast-track the procurements of lifesaving commodities to mitigate the high burden of malaria in Nigeria as reiterated in the 2023 World Malaria Theme.
The lawmaker said; ” the House of Representatives (National Assembly ) thanks the Global Fund, USAID/PMI, DFID and other philanthropic organisations that had supported Nigeria over the years and their great call for domestic financing and the African countries to take ownership by encouraging locally produce antimalarial commodities.”
He also appreciated the laudable approval of the registration of the Malaria Vaccine by NAFDAC.
April 25TH marks World Malaria Day as countries and organisations all over the world especially sub-Saharan countries celebrate the day.
This year’s theme is “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement,” with a particular focus on the implementation of strategies to reach especially the vulnerable age group of children under 5 years and Pregnant women.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
