Experts in the healthcare sector have warned that malaria is still a burden in Nigeria despite the efforts to combat it.
Though malaria is a preventable and treatable illness, it is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of children, pregnant mothers and individuals.
According to the 2024 World Malaria Report, Nigeria has the highest global burden of malaria, accounting for 68,136,000 cases, representing 26 per cent of global malaria cases, 39.3 per cent of global malaria deaths in children under five years, and 30.9 per cent of all malaria deaths globally.
Speaking on the issue, Executive Director of Block Malaria Africa Initiative, Dr Odinaka Obeta, has urged the government to improve its commitment towards combating the disease by strengthening healthcare systems and increasing local investments in research, as well as adopting mosquito control methods to combat antimalarial and vector resistance.
Obeta said to prevent malaria people need to keep their environment clean and avoid stagnant water, dumps and every breeding site of mosquitoes.
He told The Guardian that people should sleep under long-lasting insecticide-treated nets to avoid mosquito bites and use indoor residual sprays and insecticides.
In terms of signs and symptoms of malaria, he said sometimes it presents like other illnesses hence why it is highly, recommended always to get tested to confirm the presence of malaria before treatment.
He said some of the common symptoms of malaria include nausea, dizziness, headaches, vomiting, loss of appetite, and fever. In severe cases, he noted that symptoms may include extreme fatigue, convulsions, and severe headache.
However, he explained to reduce the malaria burden in Nigeria the government, private stakeholders and the general public have diverse roles to play. The government can prioritise investing in the purchase and distribution of these vaccines to the most at-risk population, which is the children under the age of five to reduce the 78 per cent death burden.
He explained the government should invest in measures to prevent malaria, such as regular education of the public through official mass media platforms, and free provision of insecticide-treated nets for all children and pregnant women.
The current challenge of the soaring cost of investigations and drugs must also be tackled by the government setting benchmarks on fees for malaria tests including rapid diagnostic test kits and malaria drugs.
There is a need for the enrollment of Nigerians in health insurance schemes using social intervention funds for vulnerable people. “There have been innovations in research, such as the malaria vaccine, and the government at all levels must collaborate with stakeholders in deployment, monitoring and evaluation of the efficacy of these vaccines.”
Obeta said there should also be a need to engage in awareness campaigns on malaria prevention as many people, especially in remote communities lack knowledge on the causes of malaria and its prevention strategies.
He said: “By engaging communities in malaria control efforts through community-based interventions this knowledge gap could be greatly reduced and thousands of deaths prevented.”
Other strategies, he said include improving access to effective malaria diagnosis, and treatment and strengthening healthcare infrastructure, as well as training health workers to diagnose and manage malaria cases effectively.
Head, Department of Family Medicine Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr Oluwajimi Sodipo, said there is a need for better health education on malaria and its effects, especially in vulnerable populations like those in socio-economic class, those in conflict areas, women and children, and ensuring that issues such as climate change, which is leading to environmental degradation, and affecting those already poor are tackled.
Sodipo said Nigerians can play a role by becoming more aware of preventive measures, ensuring early presentation to hospitals when having a fever and avoiding the presumptive use of antimalaria drugs which is driving resistance.
He stated that health workers have a critical role to play in prevention, treatment and avoiding drug abuse, which breeds resistance to available treatment. “Health care workers must use every opportunity to educate Nigerians on the transmission, symptoms and prevention of malaria.”
According to him, the current habit where antimalaria drugs are prescribed for everyone with a fever, even without testing is a practice, which must be discouraged. “Most antimalaria drugs are sold as over-the-counter medications and are driving resistance.”
A consultant public health physician at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr Adeleke Kayode, said health institutions should continue to create more awareness of the malaria infection, and its mode of transmission. They should be involved in community engagement and participation, risk communication, health education and promotion to ensure zero malaria in Nigeria.
To stay safe from malaria, he said Nigerians must understand that the fight against malaria is everybody’s business, not just that of the government. “We must come together to prevent malaria in our communities and avoid self-medication.
We must commit to completing our malaria medications even after we feel better and most importantly commit to preventing malaria infection by sleeping under treated bed nets and keeping our environment devoid of breeding sites of mosquitoes.”
Senior Registrar, Family Medicine Department, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Dr Soyemi Damilare, said eliminating malaria means interrupting local transmission of a specified malaria parasite species in communities involving deliberate efforts.
Damilare advocated the private sector’s involvement in achieving zero malaria such as funding and collaboration with the public sector.
He said more companies are needed to develop and produce more technological resources for the prevention and treatment of malaria.
