The Nigerian First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, has called for joint action to end the malaria scourge in Nigeria.
In a statement issued by her Media Aide, Busola Kukoyi, on Friday to commemorate World Malaria Day, Mrs. Tinubu noted that with this year’s theme, “Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,” it is both a call to action and a message of hope.
She said, “Today, on World Malaria Day 2025, we are reminded that malaria is not just a public health challenge for Nigeria; it is a national emergency. Nigeria bears the heaviest global burden of this disease. We must continue to work hard to reverse this trend.”
She added that, “It challenges us to renew our investment in life-saving interventions, increased awareness, and to revive the collective commitment needed to end malaria once and for all.”
The first lady also pointed out that people should keep a healthy environment and personal hygiene to be safe from any form of illness. We should also ensure that our environment and surroundings are clean and free of stagnant water, which is a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
“I urge all government agencies, private sector partners, NGOs, health workers, and community leaders to recommit to the fight against malaria with urgency and resolve. “Malaria ends with us, with our voices, our choices and our actions,” she said.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), malaria has continued to be a significant global health challenge, particularly in Africa, where it remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality.
It estimates that Nigeria had nearly 67 million cases of malaria in 2022, accounting for 27 per cent of the global malaria burden.
In a recent release, it further stated that the global community recommitted to malaria in the late 1990s and, as a result, an estimated 2.2 billion cases and 12.7 million deaths have been prevented over more than two decades, but noted that progress has stalled after years of steady declines.
“Today, malaria claims an estimated 1 life every minute, with most deaths occurring in the WHO African Region. Further progress and decades of hard-won gains are in jeopardy.
“Extreme weather events, conflict, humanitarian emergencies, and economic stresses are disrupting malaria control efforts in many endemic countries, leaving tens of millions of people with limited access to the services they need to prevent, detect and treat the disease. Without prompt treatment, malaria can rapidly escalate to severe illness and death,” it said.
WHO further calls for recommitment to end malaria, highlighting the available tools at hand to help eradicate malaria. “We have the knowledge, life-saving tools and targeted prevention, testing and treatment methods to defeat this disease.
“We must reinvest in proven interventions, reimagine our strategies to overcome current obstacles, and reignite our collective efforts together with countries and communities to accelerate progress towards ending malaria.
“We know how to end malaria. The choice is ours: act now or risk losing ground. Ending malaria is not just a health imperative; it is an investment in a more equitable, safer and prosperous future for every nation,” the global health body stated.
