Nigeria making progressin malaria fight -- WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that Nigeria is making significant headway in the fight against malaria, citing a steady decline in infection rates and improved access to prevention
The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that Nigeria is making significant headway in the fight against malaria, citing a steady decline in infection rates and improved access to prevention and treatment services across the country.
According to the global health body, strengthened surveillance systems, expanded distribution of insecticide-treated nets, wider seasonal malaria chemoprevention programmes and improved case management are collectively delivering measurable results.
Speaking at the National Dissemination Meeting of the Agenda of the Enhance Project, organised by Malaria Consortium, in collaboration with state authorities, the WHO Malaria Programme Manager, Dr. Lynda Ozor, revealed that a Malaria Indicator Survey conducted last year confirmed a sustained downward trend in prevalence.
She disclosed that malaria prevalence, which stood at 42 per cent in 2010, dropped to 22 per cent in 2021 and has declined further based on recent data.
Describing the development as proof that Nigeria is taking malaria control seriously through broad, integrated strategies, she said: “We are now seeing the benefits of those efforts.”
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Addressing growing concerns about the safety of the malaria vaccine currently being administered in selected states, Dr. Ozor stressed that the WHO only recommends vaccines after rigorous scientific evaluation.
She explained that medical products undergo extensive testing before approval and that Nigeria’s regulatory authorities, including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), also conduct independent assessments before deployment.
She firmly dismissed claims linking the vaccine to depopulation or hidden harmful effects, describing them as misinformation often circulated by anti-vaccine groups.
Citing the RTSS vaccine as an example, she noted that it underwent approximately 34 years of research and development, including extensive Phase Three trials.
The vaccine, she added, has limited side effects similar to many medical products, such as mild headache, and is safe for human use.
While acknowledging that vaccine hesitancy is not new, she observed that many communities had long anticipated the malaria vaccine and warmly welcomed its introduction.
Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Dr Nnenna Chizaram Ogbulafor, disclosed that Nigeria began deploying the malaria vaccine in 2024, starting with Kebbi and Bayelsa States under a phased rollout.
Bauchi State was recently added to the list.
Represented by Dr Shekarau Emmanuel, she explained that the Enhance Project was introduced to improve vaccine uptake after coverage fell below expectations.
The vaccine is administered in four doses at five, six and seven months, with a booster at 15 months, through Nigeria’s routine immunisation schedule.
Earlier, the Programme Director for West and Central Africa at Malaria Consortium, Dr Kolawole Maxwell, noted that although evidence confirms the vaccine’s efficacy, its impact depends on reaching all eligible children.
He explained that the Enhance Project is deploying innovative approaches, including leveraging existing seasonal malaria chemoprevention teams to encourage caregivers to vaccinate their children.
Also speaking, Mr Usman Magaji, representing the Commissioner of Health in Kebbi State, expressed appreciation for the technical support Malaria Consortium has provided.
He said their contribution is not just assistance but it is an impact and it is one of the ways they are improving the lives of our children and strengthening our communities.
Magaji added: “Over the years, they had worked on several health projects like LMC and other malaria-focused interventions had shown that change was possible. Still, malaria remained a stubborn challenge.
“We cannot do it all alone, but together, through these malaria projects, we are building something stronger.
“It was another step in the journey toward a malaria-free future, built not on isolated efforts, but on partnership, integration, and belief in what could be achieved together.”
The Public Health Specialist, Technical Malaria Consortium, Dr. Oluwafunmilayo Ibikunle, revealed that malaria vaccine coverage in Kebbi improved significantly following the Enhance Project’s intervention — rising from 34% at baseline to 78.7% at end line in intervention Arm 1, and from 47.3% to 89% in intervention Arm 2.
The project was implemented in three non-randomised LGAs — Birnin Kebbi (intervention arm 2), Koko Besse (intervention arm 1) and Sakaba (control arm).
According to her presentation, the initiative sought to identify the most effective strategies for maximising the health impact of malaria vaccines in highly seasonal transmission areas, leveraging routine age-based immunisation (EPI schedule) and house-to-house seasonal malaria chemoprevention campaigns.
She disclosed that vaccination timeliness improved significantly, reaching 91.6% at endline overall.
Malaria prevalence, she said, declined sharply from 13.6% at baseline to 1.7% at endline, while hospitalisation for febrile illness dropped from 8.4% to 2.8%.
Caregiver awareness also rose markedly from 68.1% at baseline to 88.1% at endline.
She further explained that Malaria Consortium received a grant from Gavi to conduct implementation research aimed at developing an effective hybrid model for malaria vaccine delivery in Nigeria — focusing on timely demand creation, monitoring and follow-up to maximise protection for eligible children during peak malaria season.
