Malaria fight requires sustained interventions — Experts

Citing a reduction in malaria prevalence, senior researchers have urged the Federal and State Governments, as well as development partners, to ensure sustained interventions to curb Nigeria’s malaria burden to a bare minimum.

They explained that inconsistent interventions and the implementation of control measures could undermine the progress made in the fight against malaria.

The experts made the recommendation at the 2026 Online Research Seminar Series of the Centre for Transdisciplinary Research in Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, University of Lagos, Akoka, on Tuesday.

Presenters at the research seminar, which contributes to the description of the epidemiology of malaria in Nigeria, include Prof. David Conway and Alexandra Blair.

Conway is a Professor of Molecular Parasitology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK, while Blair recently completed her M.Sc. at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London.

Blair’s Master’s project was under Prof. Conway with support from the Director of the Centre for Transdisciplinary Research in Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases at the University of Lagos, Prof Wellington Oyibo.

While Conway’s research is on parasite adaptation in endemic populations, Blair’s work was on Sub-analyses of parasitology in the 2021 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey.

Giving the breakdown of their findings, Oyibo said output from the research collaboration showed that malaria burden has changed in Nigeria.

According to him, from the 2021 prevalence data, there was a steep reduction in national malaria prevalence.

Oyibo said sustained interventions had become imperative towards malaria elimination and reducing the disease’s devastating impact on public health.

“From 2021 to 2025, the country made significant progress. National malaria prevalence declined further from 22 per cent to 15 per cent, and you can see that this reduction occurred across all the geopolitical zones.

“You can also see the substantial decline from 2010 to 2025 across different states. Particularly in the North-West, we are seeing a remarkable drop for the first time. If you examine the state-level data, you will also find that a number of states in southern Nigeria now have single-digit malaria prevalence.

“This provides the overall picture and serves as the basis for further scientific discussions. It clearly shows that Nigeria has made significant progress in reducing the burden of malaria,” he said.

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He said that despite the progress, analyses conducted by master’s students showed that between 2010 and 2018, there were areas where malaria prevalence increased in states and geographical zones.

“This simply shows that the country must remain consistent with its malaria interventions, particularly at the state level. Ultimately, it is the activities within individual states that are reflected in the overall performance of the zones and the country as a whole,” Oyibo said.

The director of the Centre for Transdisciplinary Research in Malaria and NTDs said the findings “remind us that there is still a great deal of work to do”.

He added, “Malaria remains a challenge, particularly in some states, and the national malaria programme is already responding to these findings by strengthening interventions where they are most needed.

“Hopefully, with all stakeholders continuing to work together, we will see an even better picture in 2029 when the next set of data becomes available.

“From a scientific perspective, we believe there are additional parameters that can be incorporated to improve our understanding of malaria transmission and disease burden in Nigeria,” he said.