By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has said malaria parasite prevalence among Nigerian children aged six to 59 months declined from 22 per cent in 2021 to 15.2 per cent in 2025, as it targets a 50 per cent reduction in the disease burden and malaria-related deaths by 2030.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at the launch of the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey Report and the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
The minister, who was represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Daju Kachollom, said the decline reflected progress in the country’s malaria control efforts but stressed that more work was needed to eliminate the disease.
According to a statement issued by the ministry’s Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations, Mr Ado Bako, the minister said the development aligned with the Federal Government’s commitment to improving health outcomes under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He cited Kebbi State as an example of the progress recorded, noting that malaria prevalence in the state fell from 49 per cent in 2021 to 18 per cent in 2025.
However, the Minister cautioned that the decline did not mean malaria had been eliminated, highlighting the need to sustain prevention and control measures.
He also called for improved and consistent use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, noting that among households that owned the nets, 72.3 per cent of children and 80.6 per cent of pregnant women slept under them.
The minister said the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030 was aligned with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and would be implemented through the Sector-Wide Approach.
The plan adopts the principle of One Plan, One Budget, One Report, One Conversation and a Sub-National Tailoring approach, which directs interventions to areas with the highest malaria burden based on local evidence.
Meanwhile, the Director-General of the National Population Commission, Mr Abuh Muhammed, said the survey demonstrated the importance of collaboration between the National Malaria Elimination Programme and the commission.
Mr Muhammed said the partnership combined expertise in malaria control with the commission’s survey infrastructure and field operations.
He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to evidence-based planning and urged policymakers and development partners to use the findings to direct resources to areas where they were most needed.
The minister also called on state governments to take ownership of their respective survey findings, align malaria control plans and budgets with identified needs, and ensure the timely release of funds.
He urged development partners to align their investments and technical assistance with national priorities.
The minister commended the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), the National Population Commission (NPC) and other partners involved in the survey, reaffirming the federal government’s commitment to strengthening domestic financing, improving surveillance and coordinating malaria control efforts nationwide.
