FG Plans Nationwide Rollout of New Malaria Prevention Strategy as Prevalence Drops to 15%

The Federal Government has announced plans to scale up the introduction of Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC) across Nigeria following a significant decline in malaria prevalence from 42 per cent in 2010 to 15 per cent in 2025.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, disclosed this while delivering the keynote address at the Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC) Dissemination Meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday, according to a statement signed by the Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations, Ado Bako.

Salako described the meeting as a major milestone in Nigeria’s malaria elimination efforts, saying the implementation research had provided critical evidence to guide national policy on the adoption of Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention for children under two years in areas with year-round malaria transmission.

“The implementation research provides critical evidence to guide national policy on the adoption of Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC),” the minister said.

He recalled that the study commenced in 2023 after the intervention was included in the National Malaria Strategic Plan (2021–2025), adding that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, through the National Malaria Elimination Programme, piloted the initiative in states not eligible for Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention.

“This initiative sought to generate evidence to inform policy adoption for an intervention that would help protect children under 24 months in regions with perennial malaria transmission,” Salako said.

Highlighting progress made in malaria control, the minister revealed that findings from the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey showed malaria prevalence had fallen from 42 per cent in 2010 to 15 per cent in 2025.

He, however, noted that Nigeria still accounts for 24.3 per cent of global malaria cases and 30.3 per cent of malaria-related deaths, stressing the need to intensify efforts to eliminate the disease.

According to him, the evidence generated from the implementation research would support informed decision-making on adopting the intervention as part of a targeted sub-national strategy, particularly in southern states where malaria transmission occurs throughout the year.

Salako also directed the Department of Public Health and the National Malaria Elimination Programme to begin the policy processes required for the wider introduction of Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention across the country, while conducting further assessments of its cost-effectiveness to ensure sustainable implementation.

He reaffirmed the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to strengthening public health systems under the Renewed Hope Agenda, describing malaria elimination as a national priority.

The minister commended the Gates Foundation, Malaria Consortium, development partners, federal and state government agencies, research teams and frontline health workers for their contributions to the successful implementation of the research and urged stakeholders to translate the findings into concrete actions that would accelerate progress towards a malaria-free Nigeria.