At a high-level dialogue on malaria elimination in Abuja, African leaders and global health partners pressed for urgent action to turn decades of commitments into results, pointing to Nigeria’s progress and Cabo Verde’s recent malaria-free certification as proof that the goal is achievable.
The meeting, themed “Harnessing Africa’s Central Role in the Big Push Against Malaria,” opened with calls for stronger political will, sustainable financing, and homegrown solutions to end a disease that still takes a heavy toll across the continent.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s resolve to break the cycle of malaria deaths and economic losses. He described malaria as both a public health emergency and a development challenge, stressing that the country must scale up interventions with urgency.
“Nigeria bears the highest malaria burden in the world. If Africa must win this fight, Nigeria cannot fail. The Federal Government is committed to investing in local solutions—such as vaccine deployment, net production, and strengthening of our health systems—because ending malaria is not just about health, it is about saving our economy and our people’s future,” he said.
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He identified the “triple threat” of mosquito resistance to insecticides, climate change, and overreliance on donor funding, and called for a “Big Push” that brings governments, parliament, civil society, and the private sector into a shared effort.
Nigeria, which accounts for 26.6 percent of global malaria cases and 31 percent of deaths, has made measurable progress, reducing malaria deaths by more than half since 2000. Strategies include distribution of insecticide-treated nets, preventive treatments for children and pregnant women, and rollout of the R21 vaccine.
Dr. Moji Makanjuola, veteran broadcaster and event co-moderator, noted that while progress has been recorded, leadership and accountability remain the decisive factors. “What matters is the will to do things differently if we must end malaria in our lifetime,” she said.
The dialogue also celebrated Cabo Verde, which in 2024 received WHO certification as malaria-free. Delegates highlighted the country’s success—anchored on surveillance, community engagement, and political accountability—as a model for high-burden countries like Nigeria.
Parliamentarians, led by Hon. Linda Ogar, Chair of the House Committee on AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, warned against endless “talk shops” and called for a multi-disease agency alongside new domestic financing streams such as taxes on tobacco, alcohol, luxury goods, telecoms, and mobile money to reduce dependence on donor aid.
Civil society leaders pledged to act as “foot soldiers” in the fight, while demanding inclusion in decision-making processes.
Global partners, including the WHO, the Gates Foundation, the Global Fund, and Aliko Dangote’s Malaria Council, reaffirmed support. Uche Anaowu of the Gates Foundation recalled Bill Gates’ challenge to eradicate malaria like smallpox, while Dangote, speaking virtually, urged the private sector to step up. “Malaria robs us of lives and economic potential. The time to fight is now,” he said.
The Abuja dialogue underscored the symbolic journey “from Lagos to Cabo Verde”—from Nigeria’s pre-elimination strides to Cabo Verde’s post-elimination success. The lesson, participants stressed, is that elimination is possible when political will, financing, innovation, and community ownership align.
Africa still accounts for 94 percent of global malaria cases and 95 percent of deaths, but the gathering ended on a note of urgency and hope. For Nigeria, the message was clear: the road is long, but with determination and collective action, malaria elimination is within reach.
