The World Health Organisation says Nigeria is making significant headway in the fight against malaria.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that Nigeria was making significant headway in the fight against malaria, citing a steady decline in infection rates and improved access to prevention and treatment services across the country.
According to the global health body, strengthened surveillance systems, expanded distribution of insecticide-treated nets, wider seasonal malaria chemoprevention programmes, and improved case management were collectively delivering measurable results.
Speaking at the National Dissemination Meeting of the Enhance Project Agenda, organised by Malaria Consortium in collaboration with state authorities, the WHO Malaria Programme Manager, Dr. Lynda Ozor, revealed that a Malaria Indicator Survey conducted last year confirmed a sustained downward trend in prevalence.
She disclosed that malaria prevalence, which stood at 42 per cent in 2010, dropped to 22 per cent in 2021 and had further declined, according to recent data.
Describing the development as proof that Nigeria was taking malaria control seriously through broad, integrated strategies, she said: “We are now seeing the benefits of those efforts.”