What About Malaria?

MINISTER of Health Professor Onyebuchi
Chukwu last year announced that more than
90 per cent of Nigeria’s population, 150.3
million (the population of ECOWAS countries
without Nigeria), is at risk of malaria infection.
His prescribed emergency plan was use of
more mosquito nets.
Like all those before him, the Minister
summarises the malaria scourge in clichés that
belie the ruination from malaria. “Malaria is a
major public problem in Nigeria; Nigeria
contributes a quarter of malaria burden in
Africa. Over 90 per cent of the country’s 167
million people are at risk.
It contributes 30 per cent to childhood
mortality in the country and contributes 11
per cent of maternal mortality. I must add that
it reduces Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product by
one per cent annually. It is estimated that
malaria-related illnesses and mortality cost
Africa’s economy about $12 billion annually,”
the Minister chanted.
So what is the next step? How can malaria be
this dangerous – it really is – and all that our
health officials do is wait for the next World
Malaria Day to advertise mosquito nets to
Nigerians? When Professor Chukwu assumed
office in May 2010, he promised improved
health indices.
“My primary task is to ensure that we raise the
indices to an appreciable and enviable level. In
three months, Nigerians will begin to see sign
of changes,” Professor Chukwu said in 2010.
The picture remains one of continuing woes.
The Malaria Indicator Survey Nigeria conducted
in 2010 showed that about 52 per cent of
children aged six months to five years tested
positive to malaria. Experts hold that if these
children survive, their physical and mental
growth would be adversely affected. A
combination of malaria infection with poor
nutrition ensures that many of those children
would have stunted growth and poor mental
development.
Dependence on foreign initiatives on malaria
will not work. The World Health Organisation,
WHO, formally began proposing to eradicate
malaria in 1955. Today malaria is claiming
more territories and there are fears that with
climate change, some parts of Europe and
North America, now safe from the anopheles
mosquitoes, may breed the harmful
mosquitoes.
Nigeria needs to commit resources to
researches on malaria vaccine. Malaria is not a
global challenge. Nigeria bears a huge part of
the malaria burden. Few countries would
ignore an issue that wipes away a per cent of
its GDP which is what malaria does to Nigeria.
Health and environmental officials at state and
local government levels should enforce
sanitation laws that would deny mosquitoes
breeding grounds. The world’s interest is more
in selling mosquito nets than fighting malaria.
Our governments should be more committed
to eliminating malaria; enough of depressing
statistics.