By Adetokunbo FAKEYE
Nigeria – The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako has assured that the changes in the US government’s policy on global health funding will not affect Nigeria’s malaria elimination program and other public health initiatives as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has approved a robust mechanism to ensure adequate and cost effective funding.
Dr Salako, who made this assurance in his speech at the launching of Pathway to Malaria Pre-elimination Digitalisation Programme, on Tuesday in Lagos, call on state governments to join hands with the Federal Government to ensure that the country becomes self sustaining in the funding of public health programmes.
According to him, the Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination Digitalisation Programme concept aims to fast-track malaria elimination through strategic shifts, including the inauguration of the Advisory on Malaria Elimination in Nigeria (AMEN) and the development of a pragmatic costed plan of action.
The Minister stressed that Lagos State has consistently had the lowest malaria prevalence in Nigeria, with a prevalence rate of 2% in 2021.
He expressed confidence that the state possesses the needed attributes to drive Nigeria towards malaria elimination.
“The program focuses on the private sector, which provides healthcare services to about 50-60% of patients in Nigeria.
“The National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) has collaborated with the World Health Organization and Maisha Meds Foundation to complement the Lagos State Government’s efforts through the World Bank IMPACT project.
“The project aims to achieve malaria elimination through public-private sector synergy, leveraging digital solutions, enhancing diagnostic accuracy, and addressing malaria-negative fever protocols”, Minister said, adding, “This programme represents a hope based on innovation, collaboration and determination by leveraging digital tools to ensure that every malaria case is tracked in real time”.
Dr Salako recall that during the administration of President Bola Tinubu as Governor of Lagos State, he kick-started a Lagos-free malaria project and other states followed suit.
The minister commended Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the health team led by Professor Akin Abayomi for initiating and executing the project. He also appreciated the partners and implementers, including the World Bank and WHO, for their support.
Below is the Minister’s full speech:
SPEECH BY THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE
DR IZIAQ ADEKUNLE SALAKO
DELIVERED AT THE
LAUNCH OF THE MALARIA PRE-ELIMINATION AND DIGITIZATION PROGRAM IN LAGOS STATE.
FEBRUARY 4TH, 2025
EKO HOTEL & SUITES,
LAGOS, NIGERIA
Protocol
1. I am most delighted to be at this auspicious occasion of the Lauch of the Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination and digitization Program in the Centre of Excellence, Lagos State, led by His Excellency the Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu. I recall that Lagos State pioneered intense malaria case management in the early 2000 through the Eko Free Malaria then under the leadership of our now President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am most delighted to be here today to be part of another pioneering initiative, now under Governor Babatunde Sanwo-Olu as Lagos State takes the lead in the agenda to end malaria by 2030.
2. Your Excellency, the Federal Ministry of Health is elated with this giant stride which aims to improve malaria diagnosis, case management and accurate tracking of cases through the integration of digital health solutions in the form of real time electronic reporting systems, all targeted at further reduction in the burden of malaria and its eventual elimination from our land. This momentous project will not only set the track to malaria pre-elimination in Lagos State, but for Nigeria at large, thereby once again making Lagos state a trailblazer.
3. I want to emphasize that this project is in line with the renewed vigor of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s ‘Rethinking Malaria’ concept that was launched in April 2024 and aimed at fast tracking the malaria elimination goal through strategic shifts. We have continued to make progress in that regard with the inauguration of the Advisory on Malaria Elimination in Nigeria (AMEN), the development of a pragmatic costed plan of action, expansion of primary care facilities, training of frontline health workers, initiation of domesticated Affordable Medicine Facility- Malaria (AMFm) to make malaria treatment more affordable and attainment of WHO pre-qualification for some antimalarial to promote local manufacturing.
4. Your Excellency, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the ministry is taking these steps in order to reverse the undesirable trend of being the highest burdened malaria endemic country globally accounting for 27% and 31% of cases and deaths respectively.
5. I am confident that Lagos State possesses the needed attributes that can help drive Nigeria to malaria elimination through such pace setting initiatives like this programme. Furthermore, Lagos has consistently been the lowest malaria prevalence state in Nigeria as evident from all the Malaria Indicator Surveys conducted in the country with the most recent result of 2021 showing 2% prevalence, hence indicating a tendency of attaining pre-elimination when concerted and consolidated efforts are put in place.
6. It is gratifying that this project is focusing on the private sector as in Nigeria, about 50-60% of patients seek treatment first in the private health sector making it a critical component of the healthcare system. This translates into over a 100 million people who are price sensitive and pays out of pocket relying on the private sector for health care.
7. It is pertinent to note that in Lagos State, there is a discrepancy in malaria positivity rates within different sectors of the healthcare system as shown by most of the private sector malaria Case Management intervention which has consistently recorded positivity rates of less than 1% among its network of private pharmacies, clinics and hospitals in Lagos State. This stark contrast with the higher state-reported positivity rates raises critical questions about the efficacy of malaria management practices and reporting standards across different healthcare sectors. The persistence of this challenge underscores the need for innovative and effective solutions to combat malaria and improve overall healthcare outcomes in the region.
8. I wish to report that this challenge has necessitated the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) to collaborate with World Health Organization and Maisha Meds Foundation to complement the Lagos State Government’s effort through the World Bank IMPACT project in order to achieve malaria elimination through the strategic approaches of Public-Private Sector Synergy, leveraging digital solutions, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and addressing malaria-negative fever protocols for managing non-malarial fevers.
9. Let me use this opportunity to call on all stakeholders not to relent on their support towards this impactful intervention which will contribute significantly to the drive at eliminating malaria from the world. Nigeria is ever committed to this drive and will continue to toe the path of global best practices. I wish to assure all Nigerians and our partners that the changes in the policy of the United State Government with respect to global health funding will not adversely affect our malaria elimination programme and other public health initiatives as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has approved a robust mechanism to ensure adequate and cost effective funding. I call on our state governments to join hands with the Federal Government to ensure that our country becomes self sustaining in the funding of our public health programmes.
10. Before I end this address, let me commend and appreciate His Excellency, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the health team led by Professor Akin Abayomi for initiating and executing this laudable innovative project. I wish to also sincerely appreciate all the partners and implementers especially the World Bank and WHO for providing the needed human resources, technical support and funding for the implementation of this laudable initiative.
11. I wish all of us a successful launch of this impactful project as a springboard for the elimination of malaria from our country
12. Thank you and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
