The Society for Family Health (SFH) has raised alarm over the deadly impact of malaria in Nigeria, revealing that the disease claims nine lives every hour and affects 97% of the population.
This disclosure was made by Sesugh Deborah Oryiman, the organisation’s Social and Behavioural Change Specialist, during a media orientation on the Integrated Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) and Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign held in Kano.
As part of the effort to reduce malaria cases, SFH is set to distribute 7.7 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets and over 15 million doses of SPAQ to children aged 3 to 59 months across Kano State.
“Malaria remains the most common yet preventable public health challenge in Nigeria. Sadly, it continues to devastate lives, especially among children under five and pregnant women,” Oryiman stated.
She added that Nigeria records close to 110 million clinical malaria cases annually. The disease is responsible for about 30% of child deaths and 11% of maternal deaths each year.
“Nigeria bears one-quarter of the global malaria burden. Two out of every four people with malaria in West Africa are Nigerians, and one in five malaria-related deaths globally occurs here. Every hour, nine Nigerians die from this disease,” she said.
Beyond the health crisis, malaria significantly hampers education, productivity, and economic growth. It’s the top cause of absenteeism from school, work, farms, and markets, reducing national productivity and shrinking Nigeria’s GDP by as much as 40% annually. The country also loses billions of naira each year due to treatment costs, prevention efforts, and lost man-hours.
Despite the rise in malaria cases, Oryiman noted that malaria prevalence—based on microscopy—has declined from 27% in 2015 to 22% in 2021. She stressed that regular use of insecticide-treated nets remains one of the most effective and affordable preventive measures.
She further explained that net distribution will prioritise the most vulnerable local government areas and wards, while the SPAQ doses will be administered across all 44 LGAs in Kano.
Also speaking at the event, Babangida Gwarzo, Manager of the Kano State Malaria Elimination Programme, said over 27,000 Community Mobilisers and Distributors (CMDs) have been deployed for a house-to-house campaign aimed at reaching over three million children. Caregivers will also receive tokens to collect the treated mosquito nets.
He urged caregivers to ensure their children receive the SPAQ dosage, especially during the rainy season, to help lessen the impact of malaria in the state.
