By Angela Atabo/Aderogba George
The Africa Youth Growth Foundation (AYGF) has described sustained grassroots engagement and stronger health systems as essential pillars in Nigeria’s fight against malaria.
The Executive Director of AYGF, Dr Arome Salifu, said this at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja to commemorate the 2026 World Malaria Day.
Salifu, a resource person presented a paper titled “Zero Malaria Starts With Us: Advancing Nigeria’s Elimination Goals Through Grassroots Action and Systemic Strengthening”.
According to him, Nigeria still bears a disproportionate burden of the disease, accounting for over a quarter of global malaria cases and nearly one-third of related deaths.
“As the world recently commemorated World Malaria Day, we are reminded of the persistent threat this disease poses to our nation. This accounts for over a quarter of global cases and nearly one-third of global malaria-related deaths.
“AYGF reaffirms its commitment to the National Malaria Strategic Plan (20212025) and the WHO Global Technical Strategy for Malaria (2016-2030).
“We are partnering with the Federal Ministry of Health through the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Islamic Development Bank and the Edo State Ministry of Health.
“Through this partnership, we are proving that with strategic action and community ownership, malaria elimination is not just a goal, but an achievable reality. ”
Salifu cited Support to Malaria Elimination Project (SMEP) in Edo State as a model of what coordinated action could achieve.
He said that within one year, the initiative scaled across all 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) focusing on capacity building, commodity distribution, data systems, community mobilisation, and health system strengthening to ensure no one is left behind.
According to him, nearly 300 health personnel and over 190 community mobilisers have been trained in malaria diagnosis, treatment, and digital reporting.
He added that hundreds of health facilities had received essential commodities, including rapid diagnostic test kits and antimalarial drugs, particularly in hard-to-reach communities.
He revealed that improved surveillance and real-time data reporting had strengthened evidence-based decision-making, while expanded community outreach had increased access to care at the grassroots level.
“We have integrated real-time digital reporting and conducted intensive Data Quality Assessments (DQAs) across 48 facilities, ensuring that every piece of data translates into evidence-based decision-making.
“In community mobilisation: Our project has reached a minimum coverage of at least one health facility per 10,000 population across every ward in supported LGAs.”
Salifu explained between 2024 and 2025, the number of persons presenting with fever nearly doubled, while testing and treatment rates rose significantly.
He said at the same time, reliance on unconfirmed clinical diagnosis declined, reflecting improved adherence to national treatment protocols.
He also highlighted gains in maternal health, noting a sharp rise in the uptake of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp), with coverage more than doubling within one year, translating into better protection for both mothers and newborns.
The executive director said beyond service delivery, AYGF had invested heavily in human capacity development, training over 1,700 stakeholders across clinical care, logistics, monitoring, and accountability systems.
He said operationally, the project now spaned 18 local government areas, 192 wards, and over 500 service delivery points, with strengthened supply chains ensuring the distribution of hundreds of thousands of treatment doses and diagnostic tools.
Salifu stressed that these achievements represented more than numerical gains, adding that the feats were lives stabilised and systems strengthened.
In spite of the progress, he acknowledged ongoing challenges, particularly stock-outs of critical commodities such as insecticide-treated nets and pediatric treatments.
He called for urgent, coordinated action among stakeholders to address supply chain gaps.
“AYGF plans to scale up training programmes and reinforce last-mile delivery systems, positioning the Edo model as a blueprint for national malaria elimination efforts.
“Malaria is preventable and treatable. The progress we have recorded in Edo proves that when we empower local teams and embed interventions within government systems,and in return create sustainable impact.
“We call on our partners, the media, and the public to join us as zero malaria starts with us ,and it starts today,”he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Deji Abdulwahab
