President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja inaugurated
Nigeria End Malaria Council (NEMC), projecting that the successful
implementation of the Council’s agenda and savings from the estimated economic
burden of the disease would save Nigeria about N687 billion in 2022 and N2
trillion by 2030.
The President, who stated this through his media aide, Femi
Adesina, told the 16-member Council headed by the founder and president of
Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, that beyond improving the quality of life,
health, and well-being of Nigerians, the concerted strategy to tackle malaria
had both public health as well as socio-economic benefits for Nigeria.
‘‘Our inauguration today will therefore ensure that malaria
elimination remains a priority on our agenda, with strong political commitment
from leaders at all levels.
‘‘Additionally, the End Malaria Council will provide a
platform to advocate for more funding to protect and sustain progress made so
far by our country, and put us on a pathway to ending malaria for good,’’ the
President said.
Expressing concern that the age-long disease had remained a
major public health challenge in Nigeria, the President cited the World Health
Organisation (WHO) report of 2021, showing that Nigeria alone accounts for 27
per cent of all cases of malaria and 32 per cent of deaths globally.
‘‘Malaria infection can cause severe disease and
complication in pregnant women and lead to high rates of miscarriage.
‘‘It is also responsible for a considerable proportion of
deaths in infants and young children, with children under 5 years being the
most vulnerable group affected. These are reasons we must not relent in
fighting malaria.’’
On his choice of Dangote to chair the Council, President
Buhari explained that it was in recognition of the track record and passion of
Africa’s richest man in supporting initiatives on various health issues such as
polio and primary health care system strengthening.
He expressed confidence that Dangote would bring his
outstanding achievements to help the country achieve its goal of malaria
elimination, adding that a group of eminent personalities, who have also made
their mark across all walks of life, have been selected to work in the Council.
He added that the membership of the Council reflects
Government’s commitment to significantly reducing the malaria burden in
Nigeria, to a level where it is no longer a public health issue.
‘‘I have been informed that the End Malaria Council (EMC)
has already been established in other African countries, in line with the
African Union Assembly Declaration for Establishment of EMC’s in Africa.
‘‘EMCs have provided leadership, new funding, and innovation
to enable these countries to stay on track to meet malaria burden reduction
targets, and I am optimistic that the setting up of the Nigeria End Malaria
Council will do the same for Nigeria.
‘‘I must add that with the additional advocacy and funding
the Council will bring to the malaria control drive, we can anticipate a
reduction in malaria burden that ensures that our children, pregnant women,
indeed, all Nigerians are shielded from the disease.
‘‘We must work together to reduce the unnecessary deaths
attributable to malaria and ultimately improve the well-being of citizens. I
implore the Council to ensure best practices and innovative strategies in
achieving its mandate.’’
President Buhari used the occasion to thank the Chairman of
the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya,
the Executive Secretary of ALMA, RBM Partnership in Nigeria for their
continuous support to the Federal Ministry of Health and the malaria programme,
in particular.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the Global Fund,
the United States Agency for International Development, the President’s Malaria
Initiative, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO , UNICEF, UK Foreign and
Commonwealth Development Office, other implementing partners, and the private
sector.
In separate remarks, the Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire,
and the Minister of State for Health, Joseph Ekumankama Nkama, said since 2010,
Nigeria has been recording a continuous decline in malaria from 42 per cent in
2010, 27 per cent in 2015 to 23 per cent in 2018.
Quoting figures from the 2010 Nigeria Malaria Indicator
Survey and the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, they attributed the
decline to the thorough implementation of the National Malaria Strategic Plan
(NMSP).
Both ministers, however, admitted that the funding gap has
impacted the implementation of the malaria programmes in Nigeria, adding that
the country needs N1.89 trillion to reduce malaria prevalence and mortality by
2025.
Ekumankama said: ‘‘The biggest challenge confronting us,
which prevents the elimination of malaria, to ensure a malaria-free nation in
the shortest possible time is inadequate finances to fund the NMSP.
‘‘We are currently implementing NMSP of 2021 to 2025, with
the intent to achieve a parasitic prevalence of less than 10 per cent and
reduce mortality attributable to malaria to less than 50 deaths per 1000 live
births by the year 2025. It will take about N1.89 trillion to implement this
plan.
‘‘However, in the first year of its implementation we had an
estimated deficit of over N150 billion and in 2022, we already have a deficit
of over N170 billion.’’
In his acceptance speech, Dangote thanked the President and
all members of the Council for entrusting him with the enormous responsibility,
pledging to work hard to achieve the mandate.
‘‘I must confess that this resonates with my current role as
the Nigerian Ambassador for Malaria, my role on the Global End Malaria Council
and with the work that my Foundation is doing to mobilise the private sector to
support malaria control in Nigeria and Africa at large,’’ he said.
The Council members are: Shehu Ibrahim, Permanent Secretary,
Office of the Vice President on Political and Economic Affairs, Governor Kayode
Fayemi of Ekiti State and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Sen.
Yahaya Oloriegbe, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, Hon. Abubakar Dahiru,
Chairman, House Committee on AIDS, TB and Malaria, Dr Ehanire, Hon. Ekumankama,
Mahmuda Mamman, Permanent Secretary, Federal Minister of Health.
Others include Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Board of Directors,
UBA, Folurunsho Alakija, CEO, Rose of Sharon Group, Herbert Wigwe, CEO, Access
Bank, Femi Otedola, CEO Forte Oil, Hajiya Lami Lau, President, National Council
of Women Societies, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Emertius Archbishop of Abuja
Catholic Archdiocese, Alhaja Rafiyat Sanni, National Amira, Federation of
Muslim Women Nigeria (FOWAN) and Dr Perpetua Uhomoibhi, NEMC
Secretariat/National Coordinator, National Malaria Elimination Programme
(NMEP).
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