Nigeria currently bears the deadliest burden of malaria globally, accounting for 24% of all international fatalities and a staggering 38% of deaths among children under the age of five, health experts have warned.
Speaking at the 2026 World Malaria Day celebration in Enugu, themed “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must,” Dr. Bright Orji, Country Project Manager for Jhpiego, raised the alarm that emerging antimalarial drug resistance could trigger a catastrophic health crisis if not proactively contained.
“Nigeria at the moment contributes the highest number in terms of global malaria deaths… 38% of global malaria deaths among children under five is also from Nigeria,” Dr. Orji stated.
“If we have resistance, it will also compound things, and that is the reason the government wants to make sure it doesn’t happen.”
To combat this threat, the Nigerian government, in partnership with Jhpiego—an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University—and the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), has launched the STOP-AMDR project.
The initiative is piloting Multiple First-Line Therapies (MFT) in Enugu and Kwara states. This strategy involves the simultaneous use of different Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs) to prevent malaria parasites from developing immunity to a single drug.
Dr. Orji also confirmed the phased rollout of a malaria vaccine specifically targeting children under five. “The malaria vaccine has come to stay… It provide[s] that level of protection so that you don’t have malaria, just like the vaccines you have for immunization,” he explained.
The event held the International Conference Centre, also saw a significant intervention for maternal health, with the Excellence Community Education Welfare Scheme (ECEWS) announcing a health insurance scheme for 1,000 pregnant women in Enugu State.
The CEO of ECEWS, Dr. Andy Eyo, disclosed that the group would pay the premiums to the State Universal Health Coverage Agency to ensure zero-cost deliveries and antenatal care.
“Many people can no longer work as effectively as they can because of malaria. But if malaria is prevented, they can work better, they can make money, they can pay their taxes, and the state will be the better for it,” Eyo said, adding that Enugu’s malaria prevalence has dropped from 24.5% to a record 9%.
The Enugu State Commissioner for Health, Prof. George Ugwu, in his speech, attributed the state’s progress to the “enabling environment” created by Governor Peter Mbah.
Ugwu revealed that the state is currently providing free malaria testing and treatment across 527 health facilities. “We have also embarked on extraordinary awareness creation because we have to let the citizens know… Not every fever is malaria,” the Commissioner stated.
He further noted that the fight is multi-sectoral, involving the Agric and Environment sectors to eliminate mosquito breeding grounds, emphasizing that Enugu was recently ranked as one of the cleanest cities in Nigeria.
In a goodwill message, Dr. Adaeze Ugwu of the World Health Organization (WHO) Enugu Office, warned that while progress is being made, funding gaps and climate variability remain significant threats.
“Malaria in pregnancy is particularly dangerous… leading to severe anemia, miscarriage, and low birth weight,” she warned. “Now we can because we have stronger political will… Now we must because any delay risks reversing hard-earned progress.”
The WHO reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the state’s surveillance and primary healthcare systems to ensure that the vision of a “malaria-free Nigeria” transitions from a futuristic goal to a present reality.
As the STOP-AMDR project moves into its implementation phase through 2029, stakeholders remain hopeful that Enugu’s 9% prevalence rate will soon hit zero, setting a template for the rest of the country.
Sahara Reporters