Linus Aleke in Abuja
The World Health Organization (WHO) has affirmed that Nigeria is recording significant progress in malaria prevention and control, citing steady declines in infection rates and improved access to preventive and treatment services nationwide.
The global health body attributed the gains to strengthened surveillance systems, wider distribution of insecticide-treated nets, expanded seasonal malaria chemoprevention programmes, and improved case management.
These combined interventions, it noted, are now yielding measurable results.
Speaking at the National Dissemination Meeting of the Agenda of the Enhance Project, organised by Malaria Consortium in collaboration with state authorities, WHO Malaria Programme Manager, Dr. Lynda Ozor, said a Malaria Indicator Survey conducted last year confirmed the downward trend in prevalence.
According to her, malaria prevalence stood at 42 per cent in 2010, dropped to 22 per cent in 2021, and has declined further based on recent data.
She described the progress as evidence that Nigeria has taken malaria control seriously by implementing broad, integrated strategies across the country.
“We are now seeing the benefits of those efforts,” she said.
Addressing concerns about the safety of the malaria vaccine currently being administered in a few states, Dr. Ozor stressed that WHO recommended the vaccines only after rigorous evaluation.
She explained that WHO subjects medical products to extensive testing before approval, while Nigeria’s regulatory authorities, including the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), also conduct independent assessments before products are deployed locally.
She categorically dismissed claims that the vaccines cause depopulation or hidden harmful effects, describing such assertions as misinformation often spread 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 eagerly anticipated the malaria vaccine and welcomed its introduction.
WHO commended the collaborative efforts of the Federal Government, state authorities and development partners, urging sustained funding, community engagement and strategic action to consolidate the gains and ultimately eliminate malaria as a public health threat.
The National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Dr Nnenna Chizaram Ogbulafor, said Nigeria began deploying the malaria vaccine in 2024, starting with Kebbi and Bayelsa States under a phased rollout, with Bauchi State recently added.
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 while evidence confirms the vaccine’s efficacy, its benefits can only be realised if it reaches all eligible children.
He said the Enhance Project is exploring innovative approaches, including leveraging existing seasonal malaria chemoprevention teams to encourage caregivers to vaccinate their children.
