Nigeria Loses Over $1.1 Billion Annually To Malaria, Says Health Minister, Muhammad Pate

By: Abdulwasiu Akintunde

Nigeria loses over $1.1 billion annually in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to malaria, according to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate.

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports  that while speaking at the inaugural meeting of the Advisory on Malaria Elimination in Nigeria, held in Abuja, Pate emphasized that malaria is not just a public health issue but also an economic and developmental crisis.

A statement from the ministry’s Deputy Director of Information and Public Relations, Alaba Balogun, quoted Pate describing malaria as a pressing emergency that undermines productivity, increases healthcare costs, and exacerbates poverty.

“Malaria imposes an unacceptable toll on Nigeria. With 27% of global malaria cases and 31% of deaths, our country bears the heaviest burden. In 2022 alone, over 180,000 Nigerian children under five died from malaria, a tragedy that we can prevent. This disease reduces GDP by more than $1.1 billion annually, highlighting the urgent need for elimination,” Pate said.

He praised the establishment of the advisory body as a significant step toward tackling malaria, aligning it with the health sector’s renewal initiatives under the Government’s "Renewed Hope Agenda." 

He also stressed the importance of engaging traditional and religious leaders to influence community-level behavioral change.

The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, highlighted the advisory body’s role in offering evidence-based recommendations to reduce malaria's burden and chart a realistic path toward a malaria-free Nigeria. 

Salako emphasized collaboration with the private sector, international partners, healthcare workers, and communities to achieve success.

OTN News recalls that the advisory body, chaired by globally acclaimed expert, Prof. Rose Leke, is tasked with driving solutions to address existing challenges, securing malaria elimination as a budgetary and planning priority at all Government levels, and establishing accountability frameworks for sustained progress.