Infectious diseases expert, John Ifeanyichuku Amaka, has stated that the Nigerian government lacks a coordinated national malaria strategy driven by local expertise, hence not adequately prioritising investment in malaria research and control.

The vector biologist and doctoral student at the University of Georgia, United States, made this known on Thursday through a communique to newsmen while commenting on how malaria and other vector diseases can be properly managed in the country.

Amaka stated that, as long as national malaria control is concerned, there is insufficient funding to support the training of experts, development of local research initiatives, and establishment of advanced laboratory infrastructure, which, according to him, are limiting Nigeria’s ability to generate innovative, context-specific solutions and keep the country dependent on external strategies that may not fully address local realities.

Amaka stressed that malaria should be handled with utmost seriousness because it is a deadly tropical disease that leads to severe anaemia, causing life-threatening complications such as cerebral malaria, adding that infants under five years old, pregnant women, and individuals with weak immune systems are particularly vulnerable to the disease.

“The emergence of drug-resistant malaria makes treatment challenging in some regions, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, contributing to its high mortality rate of about 600,000 deaths annually, more than 90 per cent of which is in sub-Saharan Africa, where 80 per cent of deaths are among infants below the age of five,” he said.

Explaining the research gaps that must be bridged to reduce malaria disease in the country, the scholar said that Nigerian malaria researchers should prioritise innovative transmission-blocking strategies targeting the parasite within the mosquito vector.

According to him, this includes exploring transmission-blocking vaccines or drugs that disrupt parasite development inside the Anopheles mosquitoes, which he described as the best preventative measure for malaria, emphasising that, “Such innovative tool could be integrated into existing strategies such as insecticide-treated nets, given that this is being weakened by insecticide resistance.”

Amaka further said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has rolled out malaria vaccines for infants, but most parts of sub-Saharan Africa are yet to receive the vaccines.

He stressed that environmental management to eliminate mosquito breeding sites, like stagnant water bodies, is crucial. He recommended that more attention should be given to understanding the biology and behaviour of local vector species, particularly Anopheles gambiae.

“Uncovering how these mosquitoes survive the dry season — a poorly understood aspect of their ecology — could reveal critical vulnerabilities that could be targeted for control efforts,” he said.

Amaka advised the Federal Government to prioritise sustained and increased funding for malaria control and elimination programmes, and ensure strong coordination and accountability across all levels of government and partner organisations.

He urged the government to strengthen primary healthcare systems to ensure widespread access to diagnosis, treatment, and preventive measures like insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp), and enhance community engagement through education and awareness campaigns.

“The Federal Government should invest in research to combat insecticide and drug resistance, and explore innovative vector control strategies. Improving data collection and surveillance systems for effective monitoring and evaluation of interventions is also needed to win the fight against malaria,” he advised.

John Ifeanyichukwu Amaka is a multiple scholarship winner, garnering the prestigious Commonwealth and Erasmus Mundus scholarships for his master’s programmes in Europe, and currently on a Graduate Research Assistantship for his PhD programme on infectious diseases, with a focus on malaria transmission biology, at the University of Georgia in the United States of America. He is also a recipient of the Tom Zydosky Graduate Award at the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia.