Imperative of autonomous agency for malaria eradication
By Deborah Coker, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
In Nigeria, malaria is still a critical health concern–one of the leading causes of death.
Every year, thousands, especially children and pregnant women, die or suffer long term malaria-related health complications.
In spite of decades of programmes, task forces, technical working groups, and international support, the country is still at a point where malaria contributes significantly to deaths.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Nigeria accounts for approximately 31 per cent of global malaria deaths, making it the country with the highest malaria death toll worldwide.
It also carries a significant portion of the global malaria burden, with an estimated 27 per cent of all malaria cases.
Against this backdrop, health experts say it is disheartening that the Ministry of Justice, National Agency for Food, Drug and Control (NAFDAC), and a few others recently opposed the bill for the establishment of the National Agency for Malaria Elimination (NAME) (SB.172), citing concerns of duplication, fragmentation, and institutional overlap.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District, passed the second reading in the senate on May 15.
This bill proposes a centralised, autonomous, and fully resourced National Agency for Malaria Eradication.
It also proposed that the mandates of the agency will be clear and aggressive to include formulate and champion national policies for malaria eradication, as well as coordinate inter-agency and sectoral responses with authority.
Other mandates according to the proposed bill are to mobilise and manage resources efficiently and transparently, invest in and support vaccine research, including genetic innovations being explored globally.
However, when the bill came up for public hearing recently, at the National Assembly, the Ministry of Justice, NAFDAC and few others opposed it.
Imarha Reuben, Chief State Counsel at the Ministry of Justice, said creating the agency would duplicate the responsibilities of existing institutions.
According to him the Federal Ministry of Justice is against the National Agency for Malaria Eradication (Establishment) Bill 2025 SB 172 to avoid duplication of functions of existing similar agencies in line with implementation of the Orosanye report.
Kolawole Maxwell, Chairman, Malaria Technical Working Group in Nigeria, also kicked against the bill.
“We recommend that the current eradication target should be changed to elimination.
“We are also suggesting that the malaria programme should be housed within a coordinated government structure to avoid fragmentation and ensure easier coordination.
“If malaria is taken out as an agency, it will lead to another fragmentation of the health sector,” he said.
Fraden Bitrus, a representative of NAFDAC, said the focus should be on strengthening existing efforts rather than creating a new agency.
Nonetheless, some stakeholders maintain that the current approach to malaria has been ineffective; hence the urgency of the bill.
They say that the argument that the bill duplicates existing efforts does not take into account that coordination is not the same as dedication.
According to the proponents of the bill, agencies like NAFDAC or departments within the Ministry of Health have broader mandates, and malaria is just one of many competing priorities.
The say without a dedicated structure, malaria elimination efforts are often seasonal, underfunded, and lost within bureaucratic layers.
Ismaila Dankogi, President, Environmental Health Officers Association (EHOA) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), said the proposed agency would shift Nigeria’s malaria strategy from curative to preventive.
Similarly, Chioma Amajoh, Executive Director, Community Vision Initiative, backed the proposal.
According to her, clinical case management of malaria in Nigeria over the decades has failed to tame the scourge.
She urged the senate committee on health to allow the proposal to “see the light of day,” describing the agency as a springboard for coordinated action.
Meanwhile, health experts say the Oronsaye Report, often cited in such arguments, is about reducing waste, not abandoning priority.
“Fighting malaria is not a luxury; it is a national emergency.
“Establishing NAME is not about creating another agency for the sake of it, but about setting up a mission driven institution with one singular goal to eliminate malaria from Nigeria.
“The bill understands that curative models have failed; rather than fragment the health sector, the agency will serve as a clearing house, bringing together research, policy, education, environmental health, and community mobilisation under one roof.
“Several countries that have drastically reduced or eliminated malaria such as Sri Lanka, China, and Algeria, did so through dedicated national programmes and agencies with legal backing, not scattered interventions.
“This is about lives, not turf; it is about saving lives, protecting our future, and doing what is right, not what is convenient.
“If the fight against malaria is to be won, it must be fought with the seriousness it deserves; with law, science, and accountability,’’ a health expert said.
Worthy of note, healthcare professionals in the FCT are also raising the alarm on malaria and its menacing tentacles.
Dr Bayo Ogundeyi of Lugbe Primary Health Care Centre said that malaria remained the leading health concern at his facility.
“We see malaria more than any other illness every day,” Ogundeyi emphasised.
He identified common symptoms of the disease, including high fever, chills, sweating, headaches, and nausea.
Ogundeyi underscored the urgent need for prevention, describing it as the “most effective approach” to tackling the disease.
“People must use insecticide-treated bed nets, eliminate stagnant water where mosquitoes breed, and ensure regular indoor spraying,” he said.
He also advocated for early and appropriate treatment, recommending the use of Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT), in line with national medical guidelines.
Dr Kingsley Akhamie of Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja, said that both adults and children frequently had malaria infections.
“Malaria can become life-threatening if not treated promptly; we have seen patients with complications like severe anemia and organ damage due to delayed intervention,” he warned.
Dr Tosin Ogunyemi of Lugbe Health Post emphasised the vulnerability of children, noting a sharp rise in pediatric malaria cases.
“We are seeing a lot of children presenting with malaria.
“It is vital that parents take precautions by making their homes mosquito-proof and seeking medical attention at the first sign of illness,” he said.
The expert further urged residents to prioritise prevention, especially during the rainy season, when the risk of malaria transmission was at its peak.
He said through early detection, proper treatment, and effective prevention, the burden of the disease in the FCT could be significantly reduced, and many lives would be saved.
Deserving no less attention, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in his remarks at the commencement of the public hearing, said it was time to move from seasonal campaigns to institutionalised eradication, backed by law, science and accountability.
Concerned observers say the opportunity to tackle malaria frontally should not be squandered with bureaucratic bottlenecks. (NANFeatures)
***If used, please credit the writer and the News Agency of Nigeria.
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