MALARIA: NIGERIA’S PREVALENCE DROPS TO 15.2%, FG TARGETS 50% REDUCTION BY 2030

The Federal Government says malaria prevalence among Nigerian children aged six to 59 months has dropped from 22 per cent in 2021 to 15.2 per cent in 2025.

It has also set a target to reduce malaria prevalence and malaria-related deaths by 50 per cent from their 2025 levels by 2030.

The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, announced the figures during the launch of the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey Report and the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030 in Abuja.

Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, Pate described the decline as encouraging progress. However, he cautioned that the improvement did not mean malaria had been eliminated.

Kebbi State recorded a particularly sharp reduction, with prevalence falling from 49 per cent in 2021 to 18 per cent in 2025, according to the minister.

Under the new strategic plan, interventions will be guided by local data, helping authorities direct resources towards communities with the greatest needs.

Pate urged state governments to use the survey findings when preparing malaria programmes and budgets, and to release funds promptly. He also called on development partners to support national priorities.

The government said stronger domestic funding, improved disease surveillance and coordinated action would be essential to sustaining the gains and preventing more malaria-related deaths.