By Fatima Saka
The United States Agency for International Development has revealed that in 2022, Nigeria accounted for 31% of global deaths and 38% of deaths are children under the age of four.
The Country Deputy Director of USAID Sarah Wealth, disclosed this at the world press briefing, in commemoration of the World Malaria Day 2024, organized by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, World Health Organization, and other partners on Thursday in Abuja.
Revolving around the theme for the 2024 World Malaria Day, “Accelerating the Fight Against Malaria for a More Equitable World”.
According to her, Nigeria reported approximately 67 million cases of malaria in 2022, representing around 27% of the global malaria burden as per the World Health Organization (WHO) reports..
The deputy director said that the USAID is working in conjunction with their partners, the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) in saving over 10.6 million lives and preventing 1.7 billion malaria infections worldwide since 2000.
She said: “The number of malaria-related deaths in Nigeria decreased from 194,000 in 2021 to 188,480 in 2022. The efforts to prevent malaria in Nigeria have significantly contributed to the overall success of the PMI program on a global scale. We take immense pride in collaborating with the Nigerian government and the Global Fund to combat AIDS, Tuberculosis, and malaria.
“It was emphasized that since 2011, the United States Government (USG) has allocated more than $914 million USD, averaging around $73 million annually. This funding has attracted a wealth of knowledge and expertise from various parts of the world to address the substantial challenges in Nigeria.
“PMI’s procurement of 90 million insecticide-treated bed nets, over 180 million Nigerians are now shielded from malaria. Additionally, 3 million children under the age of five are protected from malaria, as PMI assisted in administering 35 million doses of malaria preventive treatment.
Speaking on, the National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) Dr. Godwin Ntadom, lamented that it is very important for citizens to have access to basic healthcare services in the country,
He added that this could be achieved through required and collective effort by the Federal Government and stakeholders to intensify efforts in combating the malaria epidemic in Nigeria.
Also, the Country Representative of Private Sector and NGOs, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) said that they are very committed to fight against malaria, particularly in Nigeria.
“The BMGF stands ready to support the government’s agenda and the meeting next week to really dig into what we can do differently together.”
