2019 World Malaria Day: Nigeria contributes 25% To Global Malaria Burden-Minister

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, on Thursday, revealed that malaria is still a public health challenge as Nigeria still accounts for 25% of the global malaria burden. We also account for 19% of deaths from malaria.

Though, funding for malaria control has remained relatively stable since 2010, we need to improve on the level of our investment  to achieve a reduction of at least 40% in malaria case incidence and mortality rates globally by 2020, he noted

The minister made this known in his message to commemorate he World Malaria Day,  saying, the celebration provides us the opportunity to review our strategies and up the tempo with a view to reducing significantly the burden of malaria in our beloved country.

According to him, the theme of the celebration is “Zero Malaria Starts with Me”, and slogan is “Join Me”.  The theme is apt and reflects our commitment to the achievement of a malaria free Nigeria.  The slogan reveals our desire to have all Nigerians come on board in the fight against malaria. Every Nigerian has a role to play from the artisan on the street to the Chief Executive in the office. There are simple things that we can do: Keep our environment clean; Sleep inside the Long lasting Insecticidal Nets; When feverish please go for a test ; and If positive ensure that you are treated with  Artemisinin based Combination Therapy (ACT).

Adewole said that, “As you all know on April 25, 2000, during the African Summit, African leaders from 44 countries committed themselves to intensive efforts to combat the scourge of malaria. They agreed to use the 25th of April of every year to draw attention to the menace of malaria and elicit support for its control. The celebration began as the Africa Malaria Day and was later renamed the World Malaria Day.

“We are fully committed to malaria elimination. We have developed innovative programmes that will increase access to funds for malaria programme implementation. Some of which include the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, the Save One Million Lives Project and we are also soliciting for additional funding support for malaria programme.  Let me now intimate you with the progress and milestones that we have recorded so far.

“We are recording a steady reduction in the malaria burden. The 2013 NDHS showed that malaria was responsible for 2 out of 10 deaths in children less than 5 years, as against 30% in previous years. The NMIS 2015 showed a remarkable reduction in the malaria prevalence from 42% (NMIS 2010) to 27% which resulted from a strong commitment from government and partners in their efforts to stem malaria. We look forward to the results of the NDHS 2018 for data on the current status of malaria.

“In 2018, President Mohammadu Buhari approved an incentive funding of $18.5 million for procurement of Long Lasting Insectcide Treated Nets(LLIN). We carried carried out LLINs replacement campaigns in eight States (Ogun, Jigawa, Katsina, Gombe, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Akwa-Ibom, Bauchi) with support from our partners – GF, PMI/USAID, CRS and SFH.  In four of the Global Fund supported States, Information, Communication, Technology for Development (ICT4D) was deployed for the LLINs replacement campaign implementation. In all, a total of Twenty-four Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Eight Hundred and Ninety-six (24,730,896) LLINs were distributed across the eight States. Similarly, 7,200 LLINs were also distributed in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Adamawa State. As you all know, the campaigns are done every 3 years in each state of the Federation based on the life span of the nets. This is to ensure that our people are continuously protected from the scourge of malaria. In order to ensure effective monitoring of the malaria vector, we have gone further to establish three (3) new sentinel sites for vector surveillance in Osun, Niger and Kano States. This has increased the number of vector sentinel sites in the country to fourteen (14). Currently, a drug efficacy therapeutic test is on-going to assess the efficacy of recommended antimalarial drugs (ACTs, AA, DHP and Pyramax) in additional four site.

In order to ensure malaria commodities availability, a National quantification exercise was conducted in conjunction with states and others partners. This was co-ordinated by National Malaria Elimination Programme with technical and financial support from our partners. NMEP will also ensure a review of the forecast, six (6) months later. The PSM Sub-Committee has ratified the document for dissemination. In 2018, a standard operating procedure (SOP) for forecasting and quantification of malaria commodities was developed with support from partners. The document now serves as a guide to the malaria programme in subsequent quantification exercises.

In order to strengthen routine data generation, collection, collation and harmonization at State, LGA and community levels (NHMIS & DHIS), the Federal Ministry of Health through National Malaria Elimination Programme embarked on DHIS Data Analysis/Malaria bulletin Development. The bulletin will periodically make data on malaria programme implementation available to Nigerians. Efforts were also made to build States’ capacity on Malaria Surveillance, Monitoring and Evaluation. To this end twenty-six participants were trained (1 participant from NMEP, 25 participants from 13 States). Similarly the NMEP facilitated several trainings on data management as listed below: One-day North West (NW) zonal data review meeting ;Training of FCT Malaria programme staff on the conduct of DQA and; Participated in Therapeutic Efficacy Studies training on data management (REDcap) organized by NIMR

The Federal Ministry of Health through NMEP collaborated with the National Population Commission in the Conduct of the 2018 National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) by supporting: The assessment of laboratories to be used as Staining Sites during the survey; Training of Trainers (ToT)for State Coordinators and Supervisors of NDHS 2018 in Kaduna State; The screening and selection of States’ Laboratory Scientists & Nurses for the Survey ;The conduct of NDHS Biomarker training; The training of laboratory scientists for staining of slides during the 2018 NDHS data collection exercise ; Facilitation of the 2018 NDHS main training of data collectors in Saminaka, Kaduna State; and The monitoring and coordination of the biomarker component of Data collection for the 2018 NDHS.

The results of the survey would soon be released by the National Population Commission.

Adewole added that, the Federal Government is in the process of setting up an expert group comprising of researchers in the field of malaria to provide guidance on country strategies for malaria elimination. Similarly, the process of Malaria Programme Review (MPR), a holistic review of malaria programme implementation in the country is on-going and the outcome would inform changes in strategies and interventions where necessary.

He called on Nigerians to double their efforts in resource mobilization in support of malaria elimination. The huge resources required to combat malaria in the country can only be achieved with contributions from Government, GFATM, RBM Partners and the private sector. I call on the private sector to commit more resources to support the fight against malaria.

We are all delighted to hear of the commencement in Malawi, of the pilot introduction of RTSS/ASO1, the world’s first antimalarial vaccine for partial protection of children against malaria. We anxiously look forward to a very good outcome which will catalyze global effort at the elimination of the scourge.

He thanks the RBM partnership in Nigeria for the tremendous support the ministry has enjoyed over the years. I must, acknowledge the immense contributions of the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM), WHO, UNICEF, DFID/SuNMaP, USAID/PMI, other Implementing Partners and the Private sector among others. Let me add that through your robust programmes several lives have been saved.

Finally, I wish to commend the rewarding partnership and support that we have enjoyed from the press. We continue to call on you for more support in getting the lifesaving messages on malaria elimination to our people. I therefore call on all Nigerians to participate actively in 2019 World Malaria Day celebration as we continue in our effort towards a malaria free Nigeria

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