…Minister says intervention will target children in areas with year-round transmission, as prevalence drops to 15%
By Hassan Hussain
The Federal Government has directed the National Malaria Elimination Programme, NMEP, and the Department of Public Health to commence policy processes for the large-scale adoption of Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention, PMC, as part of efforts to eliminate malaria in Nigeria.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, gave the directive at the National Dissemination Meeting on the Implementation and Evaluation of Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention in Abuja.
Dr. Salako said the implementation research findings represent a major milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to deploy innovative, evidence-based strategies to reduce the malaria burden, particularly among children under two years living in areas with year-round malaria transmission.
He explained that the study, initiated in 2023 under the 2021–2025 National Malaria Strategic Plan, assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of implementing PMC in states not covered by the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention programme, especially in Southern Nigeria.
The Minister noted that the intervention aligns with the World Health Organization’s recommendations and is expected to complement existing malaria control measures, including vector control, prompt diagnosis and treatment, surveillance, and other preventive interventions.
According to him, findings from the study will guide government decisions on integrating Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention into Nigeria’s malaria elimination strategy.
Dr. Salako disclosed that the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey showed a decline in malaria prevalence from 42 per cent in 2010 to 15 per cent in 2025. He attributed the progress to sustained efforts by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, development partners, and frontline health workers.
“We must intensify interventions to further reduce infections and prevent deaths among children under five years.”
— Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare
He, however, observed that Nigeria still accounts for about 24.3 per cent of the global malaria burden, stressing the need to intensify interventions to further reduce infections and prevent deaths among children under five years.
The Minister reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to implementing the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030 through stronger health systems, improved service delivery, and efficient utilisation of available resources.
He also directed relevant agencies to fast-track policy measures for the nationwide introduction of Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention while calling for further assessment of the intervention’s cost-effectiveness to ensure sustainability.
Dr. Salako commended the Gates Foundation, Malaria Consortium, development partners, state governments, and frontline health workers for supporting the implementation research. He reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s public health system.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr. Nnenna Ogbulafor, said the meeting was organised to present findings from the implementation of Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention in Osun State and obtain stakeholders’ input toward strengthening the intervention.
She noted that representatives from Southern states attended the meeting ahead of possible adoption of the intervention by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
Dr. Ogbulafor explained that while Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention has recorded significant success in Northern Nigeria, Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention offers a similar opportunity to protect children in areas with year-round malaria transmission.
Also speaking, the Country Director of Malaria Consortium Nigeria, Mr. Kolawole Maxwell, represented by Dr. Shola Orasanya, described the dissemination meeting as another milestone in Nigeria’s commitment to evidence-based malaria control.
He said the implementation study demonstrated that the intervention is feasible, acceptable, and effective within Nigeria’s health system. He added that integrating malaria prevention into routine immunisation and child health services would improve access to life-saving interventions for children.
In separate goodwill messages, the Commissioners for Health in Ekiti and Edo States, Dr. Oyebanji Filani and Dr. Cyril Adams Oshiomhole, reaffirmed their states’ commitment to supporting Nigeria’s malaria elimination agenda through sustained collaboration, strong national leadership, and local ownership.
