Malaria claims over 300,000 Nigerians yearly – Minister

As Nigeria joins in the celebration of 2014 World Malaria Day today, the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Khaliru Alhassan has disclosed that malaria is the highest killer of Nigerians, claiming at least 300,000 people yearly.

Alhassan said this ahead of the Malaria Day celebration, that it is still a major threat to the public health of Nigerians causing about 11 per cent deaths in pregnant women and about 30 per cent deaths in children under the age of five.

The minister also disclosed that Nigeria spends a whopping sum of N480 billion annually in the treatment and preventive costs of malaria disease.

He said, ‘’ Nigeria and its partners have invested a lot of money and other resources to confront the scourge of malaria in Nigeria through the implementation of strategies that have been proven to be effective. Through these efforts over 60 million LLINS, Long Lasting Insecticide Nets, have been distributed across the country through mass campaign in the last 5 years.

Malaria affects 3.3 billion people, or half of the world’s population, in 106 countries and territories.

WHO estimates there were 655,000 malaria deaths in 2010, 91 per cent in the African Region, and 86% were children under 5 years of age.

Malaria is the third leading cause of death for children under five years worldwide, after pneumonia and diarrheal disease.

Efforts by the government to curb malaria in the country include the promotion of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, ITNs; indoor residual spraying, IRS; intermittent preventive treatment for pregnant women, IPT, diagnosis and treatment.

×