Stakeholders Advocate Research and Control to Combat Malaria

Stakeholders in Nigeria's health sector are advocating for enhanced research and environmental control measures to effectively combat malaria. Dr. Nelson Ez, head of the monitoring and evaluation branch of Nigeria's National Malaria Program, emphasized in an interview that past malaria interventions have often followed a one-size-fits-all model.

However, emerging evidence indicates that malaria transmission patterns vary significantly across Nigeria, making uniform strategies less effective. He proposed a sub-national tailored approach that utilizes local data to determine the most effective combination of interventions for each state.

Ramata Abdul, senior coordinator at EHA Impact Ventures, underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration to improve malaria outcomes in Nigeria and across Africa. She noted that preventive measures, such as insecticide-treated mosquito nets, are essential, and highlighted the need to address environmental factors like stagnant water and poor drainage systems that create breeding grounds for mosquitoes.