August 26, (THEWILL) – The Federal Government has appointed prominent business leaders, Aliko Dangote, Femi Otedola, and Tony Elumelu, to lead the national initiative, Nigeria End Malaria Council (NEMC), aimed at eradicating malaria in Nigeria.
Aliko Dangote, Chairman of the Dangote Group, was appointed to head the initiative. Joining Dangote in leading the initiative are Femi Otedola, Chairman of FBN Holdings Plc and Geregu Power Plc, and Tony Elumelu, Chairman of UBA Group and founder of Heirs Holdings.
Other council members include, Mr Ope Abegunde, Council’s Executive Secretary; John Cardinal Onaiyekan; Representatives from the Nigerian Governors’ Forum;Members of the National Assembly’s joint Health Committees and Representatives from various women’s organisations
Nigeria bears the highest burden of malaria globally, accounting for nearly 27% of the world’s cases. According to a WHO report, malaria remains a critical public health issue in Nigeria, with an estimated 68 million cases and 194,000 deaths reported in 2021.
Inaugurating the Nigeria End Malaria Council (NEMC) in Abuja at the Weekend, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Tunji Alausa, said “Malaria continues to pose a severe challenge in Nigeria, and donor support alone has proven inadequate”.
He said members of the Council will collaborate with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), National Assembly joint Health Committees and women organisations to drive the fresh efforts.
Dr Alausa noted that despite the provision of antimalarial medicines and preventive measures like treated nets, these efforts have not sufficiently addressed the scale of the problem.
“Nigeria accounts for over a quarter of the world’s malaria cases and approximately a third of malaria-related deaths globally”, he said.
Dr Alausa noted that no country has ever successfully eliminated malaria through donor support alone, leading to the creation of the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) in 2009 and the Malaria Scorecard in 2011 to monitor and advocate for malaria control efforts.
“It gives me great pleasure to be present in this auspicious meeting whose major objective is to contribute to a reduction in the malaria burden and possibly the elimination of malaria in Nigeria, which will ultimately lead to the improvement in the quality of lives of all Nigerians.
“It is no longer news that Nigeria contributes more than a quarter of global malaria cases and about a third of the over 600,000 deaths, mostly among children and pregnant women. It is sad to note that malaria contributes about 25-30 percent childhood mortality and about 60 percent hospital attendance.
“Similarly, malaria is a major cause of absenteeism to schools, markets and workplaces, as well as a major out of pocket spending for most households in the country.
“While malaria cases and deaths are shrinking in other countries, Nigeria has continuously recorded higher number of cases. The bulk of the support for the interventions are donor-driven, hence inadequate and not sustainable.
“Aware of the fact that no country ever eliminated malaria through donor supports, the African Heads of States launched the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) during the African Union Summit of 2009 and the Malaria Scorecard was developed in 2011 to monitor country’s performance and also, to be used as an advocacy tool for heads of Government.
“By reason of your positions in Nigeria, your passion towards health issues, especially malaria, and the interest groups you represent, your membership to this council is inevitable for the benefit of the larger society, and especially children and pregnant women who are the most affected and would remain forever grateful”, he added.
On his part, Dangote emphasised the need for a united effort across various sectors to drive the initiative forward.
“It gives me great pleasure to lead this council and to work alongside other distinguished members to tackle malaria head-on”, he stated.
Highlighting the critical role of coordinated efforts, Otedola said, “Our combined efforts are essential in ensuring that malaria remains a high priority and that we secure the necessary funding for this critical cause.”
“We must stay committed to our goal of eliminating malaria and ensure that our progress is sustained”, Elumelu added.
