Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, has said that Nigeria records 55million cases of malaria and about 90,000 malaria-related deaths annually.
Ehanire, disclosed this at a press briefing to commemorate the World Malaria Day, themed: “Time to deliver zero malaria: invest, innovate, implement and the slogan is “Act now” in Abuja,
He said “As we celebrate, it is pertinent to highlight the fact that despite efforts by the government and its partners to combat the effects of malaria in Nigeria, the country still accounts for 27 percent of global malaria cases and 32 percent of global malaria deaths.
“It is estimated that approximately 55 million cases of malaria and nearly 90,000 malaria-related deaths occur each year in our country.”
The minister, who was represented by the the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Health, Mamman Mamuda, lamented that malaria ha adverse effect on the country’s economy.
He said malaria is the major cause of absenteeism in schools, offices, businesses, markets and thereby reducing the income of families, including the hardship of out-of-pocket expenses borne by Nigerians yearly for diagnosis and treatment.
“The out-of-pocket expenditure for malaria is estimated to be over 70 percent and Nigerians pay as much as N2,280.00 on each malaria.
“The economic burden of malaria in Nigeria was estimated at $1.6b (N687 billion) in 2022 and may increase to about $2.8b (N2 trillion) in 2030,” he said.
Ehanire, therefore, called for collaborative efforts towards achieving zero malaria by 2030, in line with the World Health organisation’s Global Technical Strategy.