To achieve a malaria – free Nigeria by 2030. Health experts are calling on Nigerians to strictly follow the national malaria policy. This requires testing before treatment. This vital step, they say, will reduce the misuse of anti-malaria drugs and help identify the actual cause of illness.
Medical professionals emphasize that not all fevers are caused by malaria. Therefore, anyone showing symptoms must undergo a proper diagnostic test to confirm the presence of malaria parasites before starting medication. This approach ensures accurate treatment and prevents unnecessary drug use.
In commemoration of the 2025 World Malaria Day. Themed “Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,” experts are urging pharmacists and medicine vendors to refrain from giving out anti-malaria drugs without test confirmation. They stress the importance of tackling the habit of self-diagnosis, which often leads to mistreatment.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Nigeria bears the world’s highest malaria burden. accounting for 27% of global cases, with over 68 million infections and 194,000 deaths annually. Most Nigerians live in high-transmission zones, where malaria is spread primarily by Anopheles gambiae, Anopheles arabiensis, and Anopheles funestus mosquitoes.
Professor Akin Abayomi, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, emphasized that the “prevent, test, treat, and track” strategy is essential for eradicating malaria. He advised Nigerians to maintain clean environments, eliminate stagnant water, and cut overgrown grasses to reduce mosquito breeding.
Also, Dr. Aina Oluwagbemiga of the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research highlighted findings showing that many presumed malaria cases are not malaria after testing. He reiterated the need for testing, noting that other diseases often mimic malaria symptoms.
Ultimately, taking a test before treatment is the only way to ensure correct diagnosis and contribute to malaria elimination in Nigeria.
