Malaria: A scourge Nigeria can beat with adequate funding, research

As Nigeria yesterday joined the global community to mark the 2018 World Malaria Day, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and malaria experts ,have said that what the country required was greater political commitment and adequate funding for research to beat malaria.

According to them, greater investment and expanded coverage of proven tools that prevent, diagnose and treat malaria were required for Nigeria to reduce its malaria burden.

Speaking at different fora to commemorate the day in Abuja and Lagos yesterday, the stakeholders noted that the pace of progress must be accelerated in the country to achieve a 40% drop in global malaria cases and deaths by 2020, compared to 2015 levels.

The World Malaria Report 2017, shows that malaria continues to claim a significant number of lives: in 2016, 445 000 people died from malaria globally, compared to 446 000 estimated deaths in 2015.

The report also shows that the African region continues to bear 90% of malaria cases and 91% of malaria deaths worldwide with Nigeria accounting for 27% of malaria cases and 24% of malaria deaths globally in 2016.

Malaria remains one of the oldest diseases in the world.

The World Malaria Day is commemorated on April 25 each year, and the theme for this year was “Ready to beat Malaria”.

Commenting on this year’s theme and what Nigeria can do to defeat malaria, WHO Country Representative, Dr. Wondi Alemu, said: “With greater political commitment, adequate resources, strong coordination and dedicated partners, Nigeria and other sub-Saharan countries can defeat malaria by 2030.

“Elimination of malaria requires all political leadership at the highest level, as well as leadership of programmes, resource mobilization, and intersectoral and cross-border collaboration.”

He continued: “We are ready to beat malaria, but the pace of progress must be accelerated to achieve a 40% drop in global malaria cases and deaths by 2020, compared to 2015 levels.”

A malaria researcher, Prof. Olugbenga Mokuolu, said malaria is a condition that must be fought and defeated in Nigeria considering the number of Nigerians dying from it annuallly particularly pregnant women and children.

Mokuolu, who is a Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Ilorin and a joint winner of the 2017 Nigeria LNG Science Prize with his research work titled: “Multifaceted Efforts at Malaria Control in Research: Management of Malaria of Various Grades and Mapping Artemisinin Resistance”, said evidences have shown that increased research, funding and innovations can defeat malaria.

He said research had improved the sale and uptake of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACTs) which he said was the right drug for the treatment of malaria.

Still on research, President, Malaria Society of Nigeria (MSN), Dr Babajide Puddicombe, said Nigeria should pay more attention to research on malaria to strengthen the fight against the disease and reduce its burden.

He explained: “Nigeria is endowed with researchers who can compete favourably with their counterparts from any part of the globe, but they are not adequately funded.
“Some of their equipment are obsolete. Therefore, governments should adequately fund research and avoid overdependence on foreign grants.”

Malaria can be prevented with the use of treated mosquito nets and indoor spraying with insecticides.
It is best treated with artemisinin -based combination therapy (ACT),experts say.

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