The Federal Government says malaria parasite prevalence among Nigerian children aged six to 59 months declined from 22 per cent in 2021 to 15.2 per cent in 2025, as it targets a 50 per cent reduction in malaria prevalence and related deaths by 2030.
The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja during the launch of the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey Report and the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom, Pate described the 6.8 percentage-point decline as progress in the country’s malaria response, but warned that it did not mean malaria had been eliminated.
He cited Kebbi State as an example of improvement, noting that malaria prevalence fell from 49 per cent in 2021 to 18 per cent in 2025.
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The minister also said 72.3 per cent of children and 80.6 per cent of pregnant women in households that owned insecticide-treated nets slept under them, stressing the need to improve consistent usage to reduce infections and deaths.
According to a statement by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the new strategic plan aligns with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative and adopts a targeted approach that directs interventions to areas with the highest malaria burden.
Pate urged state governments to use survey findings to guide malaria budgets, release funds promptly and take greater responsibility for implementing interventions. He also called on development partners to align their support with national priorities.
The Director-General of the National Population Commission, Dr Abuh Muhammed, said collaboration between the commission and the National Malaria Elimination Programme had strengthened data collection and provided evidence to guide policy and resource allocation.
The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to domestic financing, improved surveillance, and coordinated efforts to reduce malaria infections and deaths nationwide.
