As Nigeria marked World Malaria Day 2025 with the theme “Reinvest, Reimagine, and Reignite in order that Malaria Ends with Us,” many voters say the illness stays a continuing risk, regardless of years of presidency and donor-led intervention. From natural concoctions to medical health insurance schemes, this piece explores the alternatives Nigerians make and the obstacles they face in defending themselves.
The 2025 World Malaria Day theme urges nations to “Reinvest, Reimagine, and Reignite” efforts to finish malaria. However in Nigeria, the place malaria stays a continuing well being risk, many are nonetheless discovering their very own paths via a sophisticated mixture of poverty, restricted entry to care, and conventional beliefs.
For Suliat Olawale, a mom of two in Ogun, her outlook shifted after she began taking higher care of her residence surroundings. “Anytime I’ve malaria, I am going to my HMO they usually give me medicine and it really works. However I preserve having it,” she says.
“I used to be later instructed to take excellent care of my surroundings and at all times make sure that I preserve mosquitoes out of my room. Since I’ve been staying in a spot the place I hardly see mosquitoes, particularly in my room, it has been lengthy I had malaria.”
Others aren’t so lucky. Emeka Eke, a 29-year-old telephone equipment vendor in Lagos, mentioned malaria stays an everyday a part of his life.
“Typically, I deal with malaria greater than 4 instances in a yr. I don’t know whether it is my physique or the medicine I’ve been taking which can be faux. It looks like malaria medicine are made for somebody to have malaria once more. I don’t even perceive,” Eke says.
Different remedies
For others like Idowu Iyiola, a 34-year-old carpenter, the hospital isn’t an possibility. “They instructed me to run exams and stored sending me forwards and backwards. I bought drained. I can’t afford it, so I exploit agbo, (natural concoction)” Iyiola tells Guardian Life. “I don’t imagine in malaria medicine. As soon as I take agbo for a couple of days, I’m all proper. Then I begin going to work once more.”
However well being specialists warn that reliance on natural concoctions like agbo — made out of roots, leaves and barks soaked in water or alcohol — comes at a value. Whereas agbo could supply short-term aid, the long-term results are sometimes devastating.
“Lots of people who eat this concoction later have kidney points in life,” Dr Olusina Ajidahun, Nigerian Regional Director at Hope for Us Charity, USA, warns. “This drink has the potential to wreck the liver and lots of organs. It has slowly discovered its method to a outstanding reason behind kidney injury in Nigerians.”
Ajidahun notes that extreme use of agbo has been linked to severe kidney and liver issues, with transplants costing upwards of ₦10 million.
Nalaria persists
In the meantime, Nigeria continues to carry the world’s highest malaria burden. In accordance with the World Well being Organisation’s 2024 Malaria Report, Nigeria accounted for 40% of all world malaria circumstances and 46% of malaria deaths throughout the highest ten high-burden nations.
“At this time, malaria claims an estimated 1 life each minute, with most deaths occurring within the WHO African Area,” WHO says.
Chatting with Guardian Life, Pharmacist Jonah Okotie, the Managing Director of Engraced Pharmacy, attributed the persistent burden to poverty, ignorance, and lack of entry to care.
“Folks nonetheless imagine malaria comes from solar publicity, not from a mosquito chew,” Okotie says. “The typical price for testing and remedy of malaria isn’t lower than ₦3,000 to ₦4,000 per particular person. Some individuals can’t afford that. They’d reasonably ask for medicine value ₦200 or ₦500, and that’s all they should spend.”
He confirmed that some even request medicine, which have been banned as single-line remedies.
Okotie additionally careworn the position of poverty in malaria persistence. “Healthcare isn’t low-cost. Prevention via nets and correct medicine requires cash. Because of this medical health insurance schemes like NHIS and Ilèra Eko are supposed to assist, however many Nigerians don’t even know learn how to entry them.”
Because the 2030 world goal to finish malaria attracts nearer, Nigeria’s sluggish progress raises issues. In the meantime, nations like Cape Verde, Algeria, Morocco, and Seychelles have already achieved malaria-free standing.
Well being specialists say that except Nigeria scales up entry to prevention and remedy and addresses poverty-related boundaries, the nation dangers remaining the epicentre of a illness the world is already transferring previous.
Methods to guard your self and your loved ones from malaria
Sleep underneath a handled mosquito internet.
Clear stagnant water round your property to stop mosquito breeding.
Spray your room and use mosquito repellents for added safety.
Get examined and full your malaria remedy. Don’t cease midway.
Vaccinate your youngsters towards malaria. The brand new malaria vaccine is efficient for teenagers underneath 5.
