By Raymond Ken-Mbata
The Federal Government has reported a decline in malaria prevalence among children aged six to 59 months, from 22 per cent in 2021 to 15.2 per cent in 2025, and set a target to reduce malaria prevalence and malaria-related deaths by 50 per cent by 2030.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the launch of the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey report and the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030. He was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Daju Kachollom S., mni.
Pate described the reduction as progress in the country’s malaria control efforts but warned that the figures should not be mistaken for elimination. He cited Kebbi State, where malaria prevalence among children fell from 49 per cent in 2021 to 18 per cent in 2025, as an example of the gains recorded through targeted interventions.
The survey also showed that among households owning insecticide-treated mosquito nets, 72.3 per cent of children and 80.6 per cent of pregnant women slept under the nets. The figures highlight the need to improve consistent use of the preventive measure, particularly among vulnerable groups.
The minister said the new five-year malaria strategic plan would prioritise interventions based on the disease burden in different states and communities. He urged state governments to use the survey findings to guide their budgets, release funds promptly and strengthen malaria control programmes. Development partners were also asked to align their support with national priorities.
The Director-General of the National Population Commission, Dr. Abuh Muhammed, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to supporting evidence-based health planning. The Federal Government also pledged to strengthen domestic financing, disease surveillance and collaboration with partners to reduce malaria infections and deaths nationwide.
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