Nigeria Health Watch Advocates Local Data for Malaria Control

Vivianne Ihekweazu, Managing Director of Nigeria Health Watch, emphasized the importance of utilizing local data to enhance malaria interventions in Nigeria during a virtual briefing on “Learning from Nigeria’s Exemplary Progress in Malaria Subnational Tailoring (SNT).” Nigeria is responsible for approximately 25% of global malaria cases and 30% of malaria deaths, with children under five particularly affected, accounting for about 38% of global malaria deaths in this age group in 2024. Despite a decline in malaria parasite prevalence among Nigerian children from 27% in 2015 to 15% in 2025, Ihekweazu stressed that SNT can help tailor interventions to specific regions and populations.

She noted that as international health funding decreases, the need for data-driven decision-making becomes crucial. Dr. Adachi Ekeh highlighted Nigeria's selection as an exemplar country for malaria SNT under the Exemplars in Global Health initiative, while Prof. Olugbenga Mokuolu pointed out the need for improved technical capacity and stakeholder engagement to sustain malaria progress.