In a startling revelation, the Society for Family Health (SFH) has disclosed that malaria kills nine Nigerians every hour, painting a grim picture of one of the country’s deadliest but most preventable diseases. According to the organization, an overwhelming 97% of the Nigerian population is affected by malaria.
This revelation was made by SFH’s Social and Behavioural Change Specialist, Sesugh Deborah Oryiman, during a media orientation in Kano as part of the Integrated Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) and Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) campaign. The campaign aims to distribute 7.7 million mosquito nets and over 15 million doses of SPAQ to children aged between 3 to 59 months in the region.
“Malaria is the most common and preventable public health issue in Nigeria, yet it continues to claim countless lives—especially among children under five and pregnant women,” Oryiman emphasized.
Oryiman revealed that Nigeria sees nearly 110 million diagnosed malaria cases each year, accounting for 30% of child deaths and 11% of maternal deaths. “Nigeria accounts for one-quarter of the global malaria burden. Two out of every four malaria cases in West Africa are Nigerian, and one in five global malaria deaths happens here,” she said.
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Beyond the toll on health, malaria has severe economic impacts. The disease is a leading cause of school and workplace absenteeism, stifles productivity, and reportedly drags down Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by as much as 40% annually due to billions lost in treatment and prevention.
Despite the alarming death toll, the SFH reported a decline in malaria prevalence through microscopy from 27% in 2015 to 22% in 2021, attributing this improvement to consistent use of treated mosquito nets.
Kano State’s Malaria Elimination Programme Manager, Babangida Gwarzo, confirmed the deployment of over 27,000 Community Mobilizers and Distributors (CMDs) for a house-to-house campaign, targeting over three million children across the 44 LGAs. Caregivers are also being encouraged to ensure their children receive malaria prevention dosages, especially during the rainy season.
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