President Muhammadu Buhari said, yesterday, Nigeria would save about N687 billion in 2022 and N2 trillion by 2030 by ending malaria transmission in the country.
He made the projection during the inauguration of Nigeria End Malaria Council, NEMC, at the Old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The president told the 16-member council, headed by the founder and president of Dangote Group, 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.
Buhari in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said: “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 more funding to protect and sustain progress made so far by our country, and put us on a pathway to ending malaria for good.”
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.
He said: “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, Buhari explained that it was in recognition of the track record and passion of Africa’s richest man in supporting initiatives on health issues, such as polio and primary health care system strengthening.
The president 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 had also made their mark across all walks of life, had been selected to work in the Council.
He added that the membership of the council reflected government’s commitment to significantly reduce the malaria burden in Nigeria to a level where it was no longer a public health issue.
In separate remarks, Minister of Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, and Minister of State for Health, Dr. Joseph Nkama, said since 2010, Nigeria had been recording continuous decline in malaria from 42 per cent in 2010, 27 per cent in 2015 to 23 per cent in 2018.
