Nigerian government commends Malaria Consortium’s efforts, and reaffirms own commitment, to end malaria
Approx reading time:
Malaria Consortium’s team in Nigeria recently met with officials from the Federal Ministry of Health and the National Malaria Elimination Programme to discuss partnership opportunities and strengthen efforts towards malaria elimination in Nigeria, in alignment with national and federal efforts.
The occasion also marked the inaugural visit to Nigeria of Malaria Consortium’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Professor Wilfred Mbacham, marking a significant milestone in reinforcing Malaria Consortium’s commitment to eliminating malaria and improving public health across Nigeria. The Malaria Consortium delegation was led by Dr Nnenna Ogbulafor, the National Coordinator of the National Malaria Elimination Programme alongside Malaria Consortium’s Director of Programmes for West and Central Africa, Dr Kolawole Maxwell.
Dr Ogbulafor noted, "The National Malaria Elimination Programme’s history of collaboration with Malaria Consortium has seen important developments towards reducing the malaria burden in the country. Malaria Consortium has been one of the foremost partners supporting the national programme in driving the Honorable Minister of Health’s Re-thinking Malaria Agenda. Our continued work together will ensure greater coordination and transparency as we work towards a malaria-free Nigeria."
The high-level meeting covered critical strategies towards malaria elimination in Nigeria, a disease which accounted for 26 percent of the global malaria burden in 2023. Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, pointed to progress made against malaria to date through the country’s Sector Wide Approach (SWAp), which aims to align resources towards building a more effectively coordinated, resilient public health system.
Caption: Malaria Consortium Nigeria team visits with the Nigerian Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare
Dr Salako commended Malaria Consortium as a global leader in tackling malaria-related challenges and acknowledged the organisation’s role as a critical partner in Nigeria, highlighting the independent assessments Malaria Consortium has conducted to strengthen healthcare systems across the country.
Dr Kolawole Maxwell, Director of Programmes for West and Central Africa at Malaria Consortium, shared insights from innovative projects implemented by MC across the country, stating,
“We are exploring innovative, tailored approaches to support Nigeria in implementing its reforms aimed at fast-tracking malaria elimination. For these efforts to be sustainable, it is imperative that we continue to work together to identify pathways for scaling up these interventions — both existing and new tools — to cover all eligible populations in a targeted and sustainable manner, and to encourage communities to use these tools consistently to get their full health benefits.”
Malaria Consortium’s Be In A Net project, for example, is exploring the behavioural drivers and barriers to using insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) in both Nigeria and Uganda. Working with project partner the Behavioural Insights Team, the project is applying behavioural science to ITN campaign activities to provide a low-cost solution for increasing consistent use of ITNs.
The visit strengthened Malaria Consortium’s partnership with the government and reaffirmed collective commitments to transparent governance and accountability. Moving forward, Malaria Consortium will continue high-level engagements with government stakeholders and refine operational strategies, with a renewed focus on innovative malaria programme interventions to make rapid progress towards elimination and a strengthened health system.
Read more: