By Muhammad Amaan
The Society for Family Health (SFH) Group has called for a decisive shift from incremental progress to accelerated, system-wide action in Nigeria’s fight against malaria.
The Group’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Omokhudu Idogho, made the call on Friday in Abuja to commemorate World Malaria Day 2026 with the theme, “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can, Now We Must.”
According to him, the country now stands at a pivotal moment where elimination is both possible and imperative.
Dr Idogho acknowledged Nigeria’s recent progress while urging stronger leadership, smarter investments, and deeper coordination to sustain and scale impact.
The CEO commended the Federal Government, particularly the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the National Malaria Elimination Programme, state governments, and development partners.
He hailed them for the measurable decline in malaria prevalence as reported in the 2025 Malaria Indicator Survey.
“Nigeria’s progress demonstrates that when evidence-based interventions are delivered at scale, impact follows.
“We are no longer at a stage of proving what works, we are at a stage of ensuring it works everywhere, for everyone, consistently,” he said.
Idogho said that the gains reflected sustained investments in high-impact interventions, including insecticide-treated net distribution, seasonal malaria chemoprevention, expanded access to diagnosis and treatment, and strengthened community engagement supported by innovation and data-driven approaches.
While acknowledging those gains, the group said Nigeria must now transition from progress to acceleration.
He added that the nation must ensure that momentum was not only sustained but significantly amplified in the face of emerging risks such as climate variability, rapid population growth, and health system pressures.
Idogho said Nigeria must consolidate gains by expanding equitable access to life-saving interventions, with a deliberate focus on high-burden and underserved populations, particularly children under five and pregnant women.
He said real-time, integrated data systems must become the backbone of malaria control, enabling precision targeting, rapid response, and performance accountability across all levels of the health system.
According to him, Nigeria’s malaria burden is heterogeneous, noting that success will depend on empowering states and local governments with the data, tools, and autonomy required to design and implement context-specific solutions.
He added that malaria was as much a development challenge as it was a health issue requiring coordinated action across sectors.
According to Idogho, the action includes environment, agriculture, finance, and education, as well as deeper engagement with the private sector to unlock innovation and scale.
“Ending malaria requires moving beyond a health-sector response to a whole-of-system approach, where policy, markets, and communities work in concert,” he said.
He said Nigeria must take decisive steps toward financial sovereignty in malaria control in the context of shifting global health financing.
“These include increasing domestic budgetary allocations, exploring innovative financing mechanisms, and strengthening local manufacturing of malaria commodities.
“The future of malaria elimination in Nigeria will be determined not by external funding cycles, but by our ability to invest in our own priorities, build resilient systems, and drive local solutions at scale,” he emphasised.
Idogho said Nigeria was at a defining inflection point, with the tools, evidence, and partnerships already in place to eliminate malaria as a public health threat.
“Now we can, and indeed, now we must end malaria. The opportunity is real, but so is the risk of complacency.
“This is the moment for bold leadership, disciplined execution, and shared accountability,” he said.
The SFH Group reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Nigeria through innovative programming, technical leadership, and catalytic partnerships, working across public and private sectors to ensure that no Nigerian dies from a preventable and treatable disease like malaria.
Nigeria bears one of the highest malaria burdens globally, accounting for a significant proportion of cases and deaths worldwide, with children under five and pregnant women most affected.
The disease remains endemic across the country, though recent surveys, including the 2025 Malaria Indicator Survey, indicate a decline in prevalence following sustained scale-up of preventive and treatment interventions.
