The Federal Government has set a target to cut malaria prevalence and malaria-attributable deaths by 50 per cent by 2030. This comes as new findings show persistent gaps in mosquito-net use, malaria testing and preventive care for pregnant women.
The 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey, obtained by our correspondent on Saturday, showed that malaria parasite prevalence among children aged six to 59 months declined from 22 per cent in 2021 to 15 per cent in 2025.
However, the survey revealed that only 45 per cent of children under five slept under an insecticide-treated mosquito net the night before the survey. It also found that only 18 per cent of children under five who had experienced fever in the preceding two weeks had their blood taken for malaria testing.
The findings were presented in Abuja at the joint launch of the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey report and the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, said the decline in malaria prevalence reflected progress but warned that the country had yet to eliminate the disease.
“The 6.8 percentage-point decline reflects meaningful progress in Nigeria’s malaria response, in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to improving health outcomes under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
Pate cited Kebbi State, where malaria prevalence fell from 49 per cent in 2021 to 18 per cent in 2025, as an example of the progress recorded.
He, however, stressed the need to sustain interventions, improve access to prevention and treatment, and direct resources towards communities with the greatest malaria burden.
The new strategic plan seeks to consolidate the gains while addressing gaps in prevention, diagnosis, treatment, surveillance and financing. It places emphasis on strengthening domestic financing, improving surveillance, expanding preventive interventions and ensuring that vulnerable and underserved populations are not left behind.
The survey showed significant differences in malaria prevalence across the country. Prevalence among children aged six to 59 months ranged from about two per cent in Lagos State to 31 per cent in Ebonyi State, according to the survey’s state-level findings.
The government said the plan would use such data to identify high-burden communities and guide the allocation of resources and interventions.
Under the plan, Nigeria aims to increase access to and utilisation of malaria prevention interventions to at least 80 per cent by 2030. It also aims to achieve at least 90 per cent effective coverage of malaria diagnosis and appropriate treatment among target populations at risk.
The plan targets an improvement in malaria surveillance performance from a baseline of 47 per cent to 70 per cent. It also seeks to mobilise at least 60 per cent of malaria programme resources from domestic sources by 2030.
Gaps in prevention and treatment
The survey highlighted challenges beyond mosquito-net use, particularly in preventing malaria during pregnancy and ensuring that children with fever receive appropriate testing.
It found that 54 per cent of pregnant women aged 15 to 49 slept under an insecticide-treated net the night before the survey. In addition, 62 per cent of women who had a live birth in the two years preceding the survey received at least one dose of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine, a medicine used for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy. Only 33 per cent received at least three doses.
Among children under five who had experienced fever in the two weeks before the survey, 59 per cent had advice or treatment sought, but only 18 per cent underwent a malaria blood test.
The National Malaria Strategic Plan is aligned with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and adopts a sector-wide approach intended to improve coordination among federal and state governments, development partners and other stakeholders.
Pate urged state governments to take ownership of their survey findings, align malaria control plans and budgets with identified needs, and ensure the timely release of funds.
He also called on development partners to align their investments and technical support with national priorities.
The Director-General of the National Population Commission, Abuh Muhammed, said the survey demonstrated the value of collaboration between the commission and the National Malaria Elimination Programme in generating evidence for public health planning.
He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to evidence-based planning and urged policymakers and partners to use the findings to direct resources to areas where they were most needed.
The World Health Organisation’s World Malaria Report 2025 estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths globally in 2024. Nigeria accounted for approximately 24.3 per cent of global malaria cases and 30.3 per cent of malaria deaths, according to the report.
The Federal Government said the new strategic plan would provide a measurable framework for tracking progress, improving accountability and accelerating the country’s efforts towards a malaria-free future.