Malaria Kills 9 Nigerians Hourly, 97% at Risk – SFH

The Society for Family Health (SFH) has raised serious concerns about the devastating impact of malaria in Nigeria, revealing that the disease claims the lives of nine Nigerians every hour.

According to the organization, an overwhelming 97% of the Nigerian population is affected by malaria, underscoring the country’s continued struggle against the deadly, yet preventable, disease.

This alarming revelation was made by Sesugh Deborah Oryiman, a Social and Behavioural Change Specialist at SFH, during a recent media orientation session in Kano State. The event focused on the rollout of the Integrated Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) and Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign, aimed at reducing malaria cases, particularly among vulnerable populations.

To combat the epidemic, SFH has announced plans to distribute 7.7 million insecticide-treated mosquito nets and over 15 million doses of Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine plus Amodiaquine (SPAQ). These efforts target children between the ages of 3 and 59 months, who are among the most at risk of severe illness or death from malaria.

“Malaria remains Nigeria’s most common public health challenge, yet it is entirely preventable,” Oryiman stressed. “Despite the existence of proven interventions, the disease continues to claim lives, especially among children under five and pregnant women.”

Statistics shared during the event painted a stark picture. Nigeria records almost 110 million clinically diagnosed cases of malaria every year, with the disease responsible for an estimated 30% of all child deaths and 11% of maternal deaths in the country. Oryiman highlighted that Nigeria bears a disproportionate share of the global malaria burden.

“Nigeria alone accounts for 25% of all malaria cases worldwide. In the West African sub-region, two out of every four malaria sufferers live in Nigeria, and one in every five malaria-related deaths globally happens here. That’s equivalent to nine deaths every hour in Nigeria,” she lamented.

Beyond the tragic health implications, malaria imposes a tremendous socio-economic cost on the country. It is the leading cause of absenteeism in schools, workplaces, farms, and markets—severely impacting productivity and livelihoods.

Oryiman stated that malaria stunts the country’s economic growth by as much as 40% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually, with billions of naira lost to treatment, prevention, and man-hour losses.

However, there is some progress. Oryiman noted that while malaria incidence has continued to rise due to population growth and climate factors, malaria prevalence based on microscopy has decreased from 27% in 2015 to 22% in 2021.

She emphasized that consistent and proper use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) remains one of the most effective and affordable preventive measures against malaria.

The campaign will prioritize the most vulnerable local government areas and wards, ensuring that those in greatest need receive the nets and malaria prevention treatments.

According to her, the SPAQ regimen will be administered across all 44 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Kano State, in a bid to reduce child mortality and improve health outcomes.

Also speaking at the media orientation was Babangida Gwarzo, the Kano State Malaria Elimination Programme Manager, who provided additional details about the local implementation of the campaign.

He disclosed that more than 27,000 Community Mobilizers and Distributors (CMDs) have been recruited and trained for a house-to-house campaign across the state.

Gwarzo said the state aims to reach over three million children during the campaign. He encouraged caregivers and parents to cooperate with the mobilizers and ensure their children receive the prescribed dosage of SPAQ—especially during the rainy season, when malaria transmission rates are highest. He added that tokens will be issued to caregivers to enable them to collect the treated mosquito nets from designated distribution points.

The campaign represents a significant step in Nigeria’s ongoing effort to eliminate malaria and protect the health and futures of its most vulnerable citizens.