Nine Nigerians Die of Malaria Every Hour

Nine Nigerians Die of Malaria Every Hour – SFH
Malaria affects 97% of Nigerians
SFH plans to distribute 7.7 million insecticide treated nets across Kano State

Malaria continues to take lives at an alarming rate in Nigeria, with nine people dying from the disease every hour, according to the Society for Family Health (SFH), a non governmental organisation focused on health and prevention across the country.

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Eko Hot Blog reports that during a media briefing on malaria prevention in Kano, SFH Social and Behavioural Change Specialist, Sesugh Deborah Oryiman, explained that the disease remains a major public health concern, affecting 97 percent of Nigerians, especially children under five and pregnant women. She added that Nigeria alone records almost 110 million clinically diagnosed malaria cases each year.

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“Malaria kills nine people every hour in Nigeria,” Oryiman said. “An estimated 30 per cent of child deaths and 11 per cent of maternal deaths each year are caused by malaria. One in every five global malaria deaths occurs in Nigeria.”

She added that two out of every four malaria cases in West Africa occur in Nigeria, highlighting the country’s enormous share of the regional burden. The disease, she noted, significantly contributes to school absenteeism, reduced productivity, and economic stagnation, with an estimated 40 percent impact on the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and billions of naira lost each year to treatment, prevention, and lost working hours.

Despite the severity, SFH reported a slight improvement in prevalence rates, with microscopy confirmed malaria cases dropping from 27 percent in 2015 to 22 percent in 2021.

Nine Nigerians Die of Malaria Every Hour - SFH

As part of its latest intervention, the organisation plans to distribute 7.7 million insecticide treated nets across Kano State and over 15 million doses of seasonal malaria chemoprevention drugs (SPAQ) to children between three months and 59 months of age in all 44 local government areas.

According to Oryiman, these distribution efforts will prioritise the most vulnerable communities with high malaria prevalence. She stressed the importance of prevention, particularly the consistent use of treated nets, describing them as the most effective and affordable method of protection.

The Kano State Malaria Elimination Programme Manager, Babangida Gwarzo, said more than 27,000 community mobilisers and distributors have been deployed to conduct door to door visits, ensuring that over three million children receive the SPAQ doses. He also mentioned that caregivers will receive tokens to encourage them to collect and use the treated nets.

Gwarzo urged caregivers to bring their children forward for malaria treatment during the rainy season, a period that typically sees increased mosquito activity and rising malaria cases.