Abuja: Malaria poses a significant structural crisis in Nigeria, going beyond a mere public health issue, according to Sen. Ned Nwoko (APC-Delta). Nwoko, who represents Delta North Senatorial District and serves as the Chairman of the Prince Ned Nwoko Malaria Eradication Project, highlighted the severe impact of malaria on the country.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Nwoko stated that malaria accounts for about 11 percent of maternal mortality in Nigeria. He emphasized that the disease drains economic productivity and impedes national development. Nwoko’s Bill, “An Act To Establish the National Agency For Malaria Eradication,” which has passed its second reading in the senate, aims to address these issues.
Nwoko pointed out that in the World Health Organisation’s 2024 report, Africa recorded approximately 600,000 malaria deaths annually, with Nigeria accounting for more than 184,000 of these deaths, the highest burden globally. He stressed that this translated to families devastated, futures aborted, and national productivity diminished.
He highlighted the economic impact of malaria, noting that it results in the loss of millions of man-hours each year. Entire sectors experience drops in efficiency, businesses absorb avoidable health-related costs, and national output is compromised. Nwoko argued that this normalization of malaria should not be accepted.
Nwoko compared the global response to COVID-19 with the response to malaria, emphasizing that despite centuries of devastation, malaria continues to receive tepid responses and fragmented interventions. He shared his efforts as a private citizen through his foundation to mobilize advocacy, promote research, and initiate high-level consultations, including hosting a strategic WHO meeting in his community to shape a Pan-African strategy.
He criticized the current health architecture, stating that the National Malaria Elimination Programme is policy-based but underpowered, while the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency lacks scale and support. He also mentioned that the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, despite its success during COVID-19, is peripheral in malaria matters, and the Presidential End Malaria Council lacks legislative anchoring and executive muscle.
Nwoko explained that his bill proposes a centralized, autonomous, and fully resourced National Agency for Malaria Eradication with a clear and aggressive mandate. The agency would formulate and champion national policies for malaria eradication and coordinate inter-agency and sectoral responses with authority. It would also mobilize and manage resources efficiently and support vaccine research and genetic innovations.
He stressed that Nigeria cannot continue to lead the world in malaria deaths and called for a unified, science-driven, and legislatively backed institution with a singular mandate to end malaria in Nigeria. Nwoko concluded that the nation must demonstrate the political will, urgency, and resolve that malaria eradication demands.