Abuja, Aug. 5, 2026 – The Federal Government has taken a major step towards expanding malaria prevention efforts in Nigeria, with the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, directing the Department of Public Health (DPH) and the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) to begin work on the policy framework for the large-scale introduction of Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC).
Speaking at the dissemination meeting of the Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC) implementation research held on Wednesday in Abuja, Dr. Salako said the directive followed promising findings from the pilot study conducted to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention in southern Nigeria.
The minister described the event as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s quest for innovative, evidence-based strategies to eliminate malaria, noting that the research was initiated in 2023 after being incorporated into the National Malaria Strategic Plan (2021–2025).
According to him, the pilot programme was designed to generate evidence for the adoption of PMC—formerly known as Intermittent Preventive Treatment in Infants—as a preventive intervention for children under 24 months living in areas with year-round malaria transmission.
He said the initiative aligns with the World Health Organization’s recommendation for malaria-endemic countries to complement existing interventions such as vector control, prompt diagnosis and treatment, surveillance, and other preventive measures.
Dr. Salako noted that the research findings would provide critical evidence to guide government decisions on adopting PMC as part of a targeted sub-national strategy to reduce malaria burden and accelerate progress toward elimination.
Highlighting progress made in malaria control, the minister said the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey showed malaria prevalence had declined from 42 per cent in 2010 to 15 per cent in 2025.
Despite the improvement, he expressed concern that Nigeria still accounts for 24.3 per cent of global malaria cases and 30.3 per cent of malaria-related deaths, according to the 2025 World Malaria Report.
“The urgency of this moment cannot be overstated,” he said, stressing that more coordinated efforts were needed to further reduce the disease burden.
He explained that scaling up PMC would not only reduce under-five mortality but also promote equity in malaria interventions, noting that Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention had already contributed significantly to saving the lives of children in northern Nigeria.
Reaffirming the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s commitment to implementing the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030, the minister pledged continued strategic leadership, integration of services and strengthening of the healthcare system to improve health outcomes.
He emphasized that the government was prepared to adopt PMC as one of the bold strategies for malaria elimination based on the evidence generated from the implementation research.
While commending the field teams that carried out the study, Dr. Salako said government would also assess the cost-effectiveness of the intervention before nationwide implementation.
“In the interim, I direct the Department of Public Health and the National Malaria Elimination Programme to work towards the policy enablement that will introduce PMC on a larger scale in our arsenal for eliminating malaria from our country,” he said.
The minister also acknowledged the support of the Gates Foundation, Malaria Consortium, collaborating federal agencies, state governments and frontline health workers for their contributions to the success of the study.
He reiterated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to improving the health and well-being of Nigerians through stronger public health interventions, describing malaria elimination as a strategic national priority.
Dr. Salako expressed confidence that the outcomes of the dissemination meeting would guide informed policy decisions and move Nigeria closer to achieving a malaria-free future.
