Despite years of intervention, malaria continues to kill nine Nigerians every hour, with children and pregnant women hardest hit, according to the Society for Family Health (SFH).
The shocking figure was revealed during a media briefing on malaria prevention in Kano, where SFH’s Social and Behavioural Change Specialist, Sesugh Deborah Oryiman, described the disease as a national emergency.
“Malaria kills nine people every hour in Nigeria,” Oryiman said. “It’s responsible for around 30 per cent of child deaths and 11 per cent of maternal deaths yearly. One in every five global malaria deaths happens in Nigeria.”
She explained that Nigeria accounts for nearly 110 million malaria cases annually, adding that the country bears the largest burden in West Africa. “Two in every four malaria cases in West Africa are Nigerians,” she said.
The disease not only threatens lives but also damages the economy. According to Oryiman, malaria contributes to school absenteeism, loss of productivity, and national economic setbacks. “We estimate a 40 per cent impact on Nigeria’s GDP due to malaria-related losses,” she added.
Although she acknowledged a slight drop in confirmed cases—from 27 per cent in 2015 to 22 per cent in 2021 she warned that the burden remains dangerously high.
As part of its ongoing campaign, SFH will distribute 7.7 million insecticide-treated nets in Kano and provide over 15 million doses of seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SPAQ) drugs to children aged three to 59 months across all 44 local councils.
Oryiman stressed the importance of prevention. “Sleeping under a treated net remains the most effective and affordable strategy,” she said.
Kano State’s Malaria Elimination Programme Manager, Babangida Gwarzo, said over 27,000 community mobilisers and distributors have been deployed for house-to-house outreach. He confirmed that more than three million children are expected to receive the SPAQ doses.
Gwarzo also revealed that caregivers would receive tokens to encourage collection and use of the mosquito nets. He urged parents to take advantage of the ongoing rainy season to ensure their children are protected.
“Now is the time. Rainy season increases mosquito activity, and that means more malaria. We need to act,” he said.
