…As Nigeria Government Says it Needs N352 Billion in 2021 to Tackle Its Spread

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is launching a new initiative which aims to halt the transmission and spread of malaria in 25 more countries by 2025. This is coming as the Nigerian government says that for the country to effectively tackle malaria, she requires more than N350 billion to fight the disease in 2021 alone.

The initiative is to be launched on World Malaria Day on April 25.

Thailand, South Africa and Saudi Arabia are among the countries the WHO aimed to make malaria-free.

The 25 countries would receive specialised support and technical guidance to help eradicate the disease.

Countries in South-East Asia’s Greater Mekong region have already made great strides: the number of cases in the region comprised of Cambodia, China (Yunnan Province), Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam fell by 97 per cent between 2000 and 2020, the WHO said in a statement.

But the Coronavirus crisis has emerged as a serious challenge to malaria responses worldwide. “More than one year into the pandemic, substantial disruptions to health services persist across the globe,’’ WHO said.

In many countries, lockdowns and restrictions on the movement of people and goods led to delays in the delivery of insecticide-treated mosquito nets or indoor insecticide spraying campaigns. Malaria diagnosis and treatment services were also interrupted.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. It is preventable and curable.

Globally, 39 countries and territories have been recognised as malaria-free by the WHO. Eleven countries have been certified malaria-free in the last 20 years.

In 2019, there were an estimated 229 million cases of malaria worldwide. The estimated number of malaria deaths stood at 409,000 in 2019, according to the WHO.

The Nigerian Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, has explained that for the country to effectively tackle malaria, the country required more than N350 billion to fight the disease in 2021 alone.

Ehanire, disclosed this on Friday at a news conference in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“About N352 billion is required for the year 2021 programme implementation,” he told reporters ahead of the World Malaria Day scheduled to hold on Sunday.

The Minister added, “The theme of this year’s commemoration is Zero Malaria – Draw the Line Against Malaria, and the slogan ‘Stand Up, Take Action’ which is to empower communities in various countries to take ownership of preventing malaria and providing proper care and treatment to those in need, are germane.”

He acknowledged that the Nigerian Government does not have the adequate amount required to fight the disease this year.

Ehanire attributed this to the prevailing economic circumstances occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, just as in other countries.

He, therefore, called on the private sector, various corporate organisations, and patriotic individuals to support the government to tackle malaria.

According to him, the commemoration of World Malaria Day provides the government with the opportunity to share the progress made, best practices, and create awareness on the scourge of malaria.

Malaria, a disease caused by a parasite spread to humans through the bites of infected mosquitoes, kills more than 400,000 people a year, mostly children in sub-Saharan Africa.

The 2019 World Malaria Report indicate that in 2018, an estimated 228 million cases of malaria occurred worldwide (95% confidence interval [CI]: 206–258 million), compared with 251 million cases in 2010 (95% CI: 231–278 million) and 231 million cases in 2017 (95% CI: 211–259 million).

Most malaria cases in 2018 were largely in the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region (213 million or 93%), followed by the WHO South-East Asia Region with 3.4% of the cases and the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region with 2.1%.

Nineteen countries in sub-Saharan Africa and India carried almost 85% of the global malaria burden. Six countries accounted for more than half of all malaria cases worldwide: Nigeria (25%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12%), Uganda (5%), and Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique and Niger (4% each).

An estimated 405 000 deaths from malaria globally also occurred in 2018, compared with 416 000 estimated deaths in 2017, and 585 000 in 2010. Children aged under 5 years are the most vulnerable group affected by malaria. In 2018, they accounted for 67% (272 000) of all malaria deaths worldwide.

The WHO African Region accounted for 94% of all malaria deaths in 2018. Although this region was home to the highest number of malaria deaths in 2018, it also accounted for 85% of the 180 000 fewer global malaria deaths reported in 2018 compared with 2010.

Nearly 85% of global malaria deaths in 2018 were concentrated in 20 countries in the WHO African Region and India; Nigeria accounted for almost 24% of all global malaria deaths, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (11%), the United Republic of Tanzania (5%), and Angola, Mozambique and Niger (4% each).

Africa no doubt needs massive support to tackle Malaria. Global efforts since 1998 to Roll Back Malaria has not been particularly forthcoming, but like the 2003 World Malaria Report noted, there’s need for

* Increasing global investment to support implementation of programmes to control malaria in endemic countries;

*According higher priority to malaria on the health agenda of endemic countries;

*Encouraging greater private sector involvement in the national supply and distribution of quality anti-malarial drugs, and insecticide treated nets and

*Ensuring the availability of the new generation of highly effective anti-malarial combination drug treatments to populations at risk;