PAUL ADUNWOKE
World Malaria Day is observed every April 25th of April annually in order to create awareness and educate members of the public about malaria diseases.
The theme for World Malaria Day 2026, according to World Health Organization (WHO), is “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must.”
However, medical professionals have explained that it is important to establish that malaria is preventable and treatable disease, and Nigeria already has a range of proven interventions which combats malaria. So, the challenge is not the absence of preventive tools but ensuring consistent access and use.
As the most widely used preventive tools are the insecticide-treated net. Seeping under these bednets every night can reduce malaria transmission significantly, particularly among children under five and pregnant women who are the most vulnerable to the disease and account for the majority of severe cases and deaths.
In fact, across Africa, improved tools such as next-generation treated nets have been known to reduce malaria burden by over 40% in some settings.
Invariably, indoor residual spraying is another effective method, particularly in high-transmission areas. Easy to do steps such as clearing stagnant water, improving sanitation, and maintaining clean surroundings, can drastically reduce mosquito breeding and further decline malaria at the household and community level.
Doctors in Nigeria noted that preventive treatment strategies are also implemented. Pregnant women receive intermittent preventive treatment during antenatal care, while children in high-risk states benefit from seasonal malaria chemoprevention.
In addition, the latest preventive solution, the R21 malaria vaccine has been rolled out in some high-burden states such as Kebbi and Bayelsa, with hundreds of thousands of doses already administered.
Few days ago, the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency NPHDA announced the expansion of the vaccination coverage to Bauchi and Ondo States which is very encouraging.
The medical doctors stated that it is important to have early diagnosis and treatment. As malaria shares similar symptoms with several diseases and as such, should not be assumed. It is worthy to note that not every fever is malaria- going for proper diagnostic testing is essential to ensure proper care and prevent further complications.
Ultimately, malaria prevention requires a combination of tools and consistent behaviour. It is not enough to distribute nets; they must be used. It is not enough to have services; they must be accessible, affordable and be of good quality. Malaria prevention works best when individuals, communities, and systems all play their part.
Dr. Odinaka Kingsley Obeta is a Nigerian trained biomedical scientist and Co-Chair of the Roll Back Malaria (RBM), which is also known as Partnership to End Malaria Youth Workstream. He is currently a Chevening scholar and MSc candidate on the Health Policy, Planning and Finance masters at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE), London, UK.
Obeta said that “Malaria is a life-threatening illness caused by parasites transmitted through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, but understanding malaria in Nigeria requires us to look beyond the biology. It is both a medical and a structural issue.”
He added, Nigeria has a tropical climate that supports year-round mosquito breeding, and nearly 97% of the population is at risk of malaria transmission. However, the persistent occurrence of malaria is closely associated with environmental and socio-economic factors such as poor drainage systems, stagnant water, inadequate housing, and limited access to preventive tools, including insecticide-treated bednets and repellents, which contribute significantly to the transmission of the disease.
He posited, in many rural and poor communities, these conditions are more pronounced. “When you combine these challenges with delays in accessing prompt diagnosis and treatment, malaria becomes not just a disease of infection, but a disease of inequality.
“So, while the immediate cause is a mosquito bite, the underlying drivers are poverty, weak health systems, and gaps in public health infrastructure. Addressing malaria effectively in Nigeria means tackling both the parasite and the conditions that allow it to thrive.
The prevalence of malaria in Nigeria today, he explained, “It is quite unfortunate that Nigeria continues to bear the highest malaria burden globally.”
Obeta disclosed that according to the 2025 World Malaria Report, Nigeria recorded approximately 68 million malaria cases and over 180,000 deaths in 2024 alone, representing about 24–27% of global malaria cases and over 30% of global deaths. “To put this in proper context, Nigeria alone contributes more to the global malaria burden than the whole of Americans and Europe combined, and far exceeds any region outside Africa.”
He noted that African countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Mozambique also carry significant burdens, but Nigeria remains at the centre of the global fight.
Looking at trends, “We had notable progress between 2000 and 2015, with incidence of malaria declining significantly owing to increased distribution of insecticide-treated nets and expanded treatment access across endemic regions. However, since around 2015, progress has slowed, and in some cases reversed. Globally, malaria cases rose to 282 million in 2024, an increase from the previous year, reflecting a broader stagnation in progress.”
He said in Nigeria, this stagnation is driven by several factors: population growth, funding gaps, climate-related changes, health system challenges and humanitarian crises which is further displacing vulnerable population and keeping them away from lifesaving treatments.
“The reality is that while we have made progress, but it is very fragile. The current decline in external funding which is on the increase is also widening the fragility of our current progress. Without sustained domestic investment and stronger health systems, we risk losing the gains achieved over the past two decades.”
In terms of government support in fight against malaria, he said Nigerian government has made important commitments such as establishing the Nigeria End Malaria Council to aid in the mobilisation of domestic investment to end malaria, facilitating local manufacturing of diagnostic tools and some essential medicine through the Presidential Initiative for Unlocking the Healthcare Value Chain (PVAC), and securing millions of doses of the malaria vaccines.
However, he said there is a need to go further, particularly in strengthening domestic leadership and sustainability. “First, Nigeria must increase domestic financing for malaria. Current efforts still rely heavily on external funding, which makes programmes vulnerable to global funding shifts. At a time when global malaria funding remains significantly below required levels, strengthening domestic investment is no longer optional, it is essential. Second, strengthening primary healthcare systems is critical.”
Obeta said that malaria disproportionately affects rural and underserved populations, and without strong primary healthcare systems, prompt diagnosis and treatment cannot reach those who need them most.
He said thirdly, Nigeria needs to continue investing in innovation and local capacity, including local manufacturing of malaria commodities and improved surveillance systems. “This will not only increase availability of these essential products but also reduce their cost hence improving access at an affordable rate.
“Importantly, there are promising initiatives that should be strengthened. Programmes like the National Health Fellows initiated by Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, represents a strong step toward building local capacity and leadership within the health system. Expanding such initiatives can help bridge the gap between policy and implementation, particularly at community level.
He said the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) which mobilises and deploys over 350,000 corps members annually across the 774 Local Government Area (LGAs) in Nigeria also have a great and unexplored potential which could contribute actively to malaria prevention at community level.
These Corps members and health fellows can cover unreached areas with awareness on preventive approaches.
He said finally, malaria control must go beyond the health sector. It requires coordinated action across the ministry of environment, education, housing, and finance at both Federal and State-levels. “If Nigeria will ever end malaria, a multi-sectoral approach will be critical in ensuring long-term success.”
Obeta said the theme for this year’s World Malaria Day captures a critical moment in the global malaria response one defined by both possibility and urgency. “On one hand, the message is clear: we now have the tools to end malaria. Advances in prevention, treatment, diagnostics, and vaccines mean that elimination is no longer a distant ambition like it was decades ago. It is achievable within our lifetime, if efforts are sustained and scaled globally.
He said on the other hand, the theme reminds us that progress is fragile. Malaria does not wait. When funding declines or programmes weaken, the disease resurges quickly. Globally, malaria cases increased in 2024, and this trend reflects the consequences of gaps in funding and implementation.
“So, the message is both hopeful and urgent. We can end malaria but only if we act now. Delaying action does not maintain the status quo; it reverses progress and costs lives, particularly among children.
Obeta submitted that the theme also reinforces a sense of shared responsibility, noting ending malaria is not just the responsibility of government or global institutions. It requires collective action from policymakers to communities and individuals. The call to action, “Zero Malaria Starts With Me,” is a reminder that everyone has a role to play in the fight against malaria.
The medical experts noted that malaria is a killer. “It kills more than HIV and cancers combined. Children of under 5 years are the most affected. It can be prevented and prevention they say is better than cure.”
In marking the 2026 World Malaria Day, Nigeria needs to take prevention as a cornerstone in eradicating the endemic disease. The way forward is to take caution, self protection to win the battle of this dreaded scourge.
Project Officer at Management Consulting Firm for Health Policies and Programmes, Brooks Insights Abuja, Chidinma Peace Ahunam, said in many Nigerian families, the story begins the same way. A child develops a fever. At first, it seems like “one of those things”, perhaps the weather, perhaps something they ate. But as the day wears on, the fever climbs, the body weakens, the appetite disappears, and a familiar worry settles over every parent or guardian: “It’s malaria.”
She said sometimes that assumption is right. Other times, it is not, and that is where the trouble begins. Not every fever is malaria, and treatment without a proper diagnosis can do more harm than good. This is why testing before treatment matters. “What does not change is this: malaria has become so common in Nigeria that it is now treated as an everyday occurrence, an accepted norm with very real consequences.
Ahunam said behind the “just malaria” shrug lies the reality of lost school days for children, reduced income for families, adults too ill to work, and deaths that should never have happened.
Public Health Physician Medical Director
(MD), Stand Consults, Dr. Otubo Victor, said malaria is endemic in Nigeria. What this means is that it is consistently present, and everyone within the community is exposed and at risk. “At the top of the list are people living in areas with stagnant water and overgrown bushes”.
Pregnant women and children are most at risk because of their low immune status”.
Victor said here in Nigeria, the primary cause of malaria is the same across all ages – plasmodium parasite transmitted through the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito. What particularly puts children at risk is their developing immunity, and the fact that children have not developed enough insight to communicate symptoms early until they become really sick.
There are many ways non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can help in fighting malaria in Nigeria by taking health education, vaccination, treatment, as well as nutrition closer to people.
He said prevention is cheaper and better than cure. Keep your environment clean. Protect against mosquitoes, especially children and pregnant women.
Senior Medical Officer at Limi Hospital and Maternity Abuja, Dr Michael Enyinnaya Omoke, said malaria is an infection caused by a parasite called plasmodium. Plasmodium is carried by female anopheles mosquito.There are different forms of plasmodium but the commonest is
plasmodium falciparum.
It takes between 48 to 72hours from the time of bite to the manifestation of malaria symptoms.
He said common symptoms of malaria include fever, the fever of malaria is intermittent meaning that it is present at a particular time usually in the evenings and night.
“Joint ache: there is another symptoms of malaria”.
Omoke said the message means that malaria can be eliminated from the world by joint effort of individuals and government by following the preventive measures already listed. “It is the duty of everyone to kick out this silent killer”.
He said malaria is a killer. Kills more than Hiv and cancers combined. Children of under 5 years are the most affected. It can be prevented and prevention they say is better than cure. Also there is rise in resistance to medications, so prevention is still the way forward. Take caution, protect yourself and we can win this battle against malaria.
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