Malaria kills nine Nigerians every hour — Society for Family Health raises alarm

The Society for Family Health (SFH) has revealed that malaria remains a major public health threat in Nigeria, killing at least nine people every hour and affecting 97% of the population.

The disclosure was made during a media orientation on integrated insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign held in Kano.

SFH’s Social and Behavioural Change Specialist, Sesugh Deborah Oryiman, said the organization plans to distribute 7.7 million insecticide-treated nets and over 15 million doses of SPAQ medication to children aged between 3 and 59 months to curb the disease’s impact.

“Malaria is the most common but preventable public health issue in Nigeria. Yet, it takes a deadly toll, especially on children under five and pregnant women,” Oryiman said. She added that Nigeria records nearly 110 million clinically diagnosed malaria cases annually, accounting for 30% of child deaths and 11% of maternal deaths each year.

According to her, Nigeria shoulders 25% of the global malaria burden, with one out of every five malaria deaths worldwide occurring in the country. She described the disease as a leading cause of absenteeism in schools, offices, markets, and farms, reducing productivity and placing immense economic strain on the country. “It is estimated that malaria retards Nigeria’s GDP by 40% annually, with billions of Naira lost to treatment, prevention, and loss of man hours,” she noted.

Despite the grim statistics, she pointed to a slight drop in malaria prevalence determined by microscopy—from 27% in 2015 to 22% in 2021. She emphasized that prevention through consistent use of treated nets remains the most cost-effective method.

The campaign will prioritize local government areas with the highest vulnerability and malaria prevalence, while the SPAQ dosage will be administered across all 44 LGAs in Kano State.

Speaking also, the State Malaria Elimination Programme Manager, Babangida Gwarzo, said over 27,000 Community Mobilizers and Distributors (CMDs) have been deployed to distribute the SPAQ medication directly to households. The programme targets over 3 million children and includes incentives for caregivers to encourage the collection of treated nets.

Gwarzo appealed to caregivers to make their wards available for the intervention, especially during the peak of the rainy season, when malaria transmission is highest.