Proposed agency to drive prevention, research and eradication efforts as lawmakers target a malaria-free Nigeria.
The Senate has passed for third reading a bill seeking the establishment of the National Agency for Malaria Elimination, a move aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s fight against one of its deadliest public health challenges.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko, was approved following the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), chaired by Ipalibo Harry Banigo.
According to the committee, the proposed agency will coordinate national malaria elimination programmes and shift the country’s response from treatment-focused interventions to strategies centered on prevention and eradication.
The agency is also expected to establish zonal and state offices to ensure effective implementation of malaria control initiatives through a framework anchored on law, science and accountability.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, described the legislation as a landmark step in the battle against malaria, noting that the disease remains one of the most widespread health challenges in Nigeria.
Speaking after the bill’s passage, Nwoko expressed optimism that eliminating malaria in Nigeria is achievable. He said the agency would pursue measures including effective waste management, environmental fumigation and vaccine research to reduce the burden of the disease and ultimately eradicate it.
The lawmaker added that the initiative could position Nigeria as the first malaria-free country in Africa if properly implemented.
The development comes amid growing global efforts to combat malaria. Last month, the World Health Organization approved the prequalification of Artemether-lumefantrine, the first malaria treatment specifically developed for newborns and infants.
According to the WHO, the new formulation meets international standards for quality, safety and efficacy and is expected to reduce the risks associated with using medications originally designed for older children.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said advances in vaccines, diagnostic tools, mosquito nets and medicines are helping to change the course of the fight against malaria.
Despite the progress, malaria remains a major global health threat. WHO estimates show that there were about 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 deaths across 80 countries in 2024, with Africa accounting for 95 per cent of infections and deaths. Children under the age of five represented nearly three-quarters of the fatalities.
The health agency has also warned that challenges such as drug resistance, insecticide resistance, diagnostic failures and declining foreign aid continue to hinder efforts to eliminate the disease worldwide.