· Advocates Test Before Treatment to End Malaria Misdiagnosis, Drug Resistance
· Unveils Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination
· As Stakeholders Rally for a Malaria-Free Lagos
In a bold and transformative move, the Lagos State Government has announced the launch of the Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination & Digitization Programme, an ambitious initiative designed to accelerate malaria elimination through digital innovations, strengthened case management, and enhanced public-private partnerships.
Speaking at a high-level press briefing held at the Lagos State Ministry of Health, the State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, emphasised that the programme is a crucial step towards reducing malaria prevalence to below 1%, marking a significant leap towards disease eradication in Lagos.
He explained that despite its relatively low malaria prevalence compared to other states in Nigeria, Lagos still records an estimated 900,000 malaria cases annually, with febrile illnesses presumed to be malaria contributing to over 50% of general outpatient visits in public health facilities. Prof. Abayomi highlighted the economic toll of malaria, which results in absenteeism from work and school, decreased productivity, and increased household healthcare costs.
Prof. Abayomi disclosed that a key pillar of the Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination and Digitization Programme is the integration of digital health solutions to optimise malaria surveillance and case management. He noted that through a collaboration with Maisha Meds, a digital health platform, Lagos will deploy real-time electronic malaria reporting systems across public and private health facilities, ensuring swift and accurate data collection.
While adding that the initiative will also facilitate the use of digital diagnostic tools to improve accuracy in malaria testing, the Commissioner disclosed that many patients in Lagos receive anti-malarial treatment without proper testing, leading to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment.
“The new programme mandates compulsory Rapid Diagnostic Testing (RDTs) before any malaria treatment is administered. This initiative will ensure that only confirmed malaria cases receive anti-malarial treatment. It will also reduce the misuse of antibiotics, which is a major driver of drug resistance,” Prof. Abayomi noted.
Given that a significant portion of malaria cases in Lagos are treated outside government hospitals, the Commissioner stated that the Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination and Digitization Programme will integrate community pharmacies, patent medicine vendors, and private hospitals into the state’s malaria control network.
He added the Lagos State Government is working closely with the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria (PCN) and the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) to standardise treatment protocols across all healthcare providers. “This means that, whether a patient seeks treatment at a public hospital, private clinic, or neighbourhood pharmacy, they will receive the same high-quality malaria diagnosis and treatment based on the state’s guidelines”, he said.
The Commissioner noted that a major behavioural shift that this programme aims to achieve is changing public perception of fever and malaria diagnosis. He explained that many Lagos residents self-diagnose malaria and purchase anti-malarial drugs without testing. He stressed that moving forward, every fever must be properly diagnosed before treatment.
Prof. Abayomi disclosed that the programme is integrating malaria care into Lagos State’s Health Insurance Scheme, Ilera Eko, to ensure the affordability and accessibility of malaria treatment. “This means that registered enrollees can receive malaria tests and treatment at little or no cost, reducing the financial burden on families and encouraging prompt healthcare-seeking behaviour”, he said.
Emphasising that the overarching goal of the initiative is to reduce malaria prevalence in Lagos to less than 1%, transitioning the state into a malaria pre-elimination phase, Prof. Abayomi disclosed that the programme will be formally launched at Eko Hotel, Lagos, on March 4, 2025, in a high-profile event to be attended by the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, along with key stakeholders, including the Honourable Minister of Health, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, and representatives from the World Health Organization (WHO), World Bank, and National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP).
He urged all residents, healthcare providers, and stakeholders to support and participate in the initiative, adding that malaria elimination is a collective responsibility, and the success of the programme depends on everyone’s involvement.
In her remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Kemi Ogunyemi reinforced the importance of changing public attitudes towards fever management and malaria treatment.
She emphasized the role of pharmacists and patent medicine vendors in ensuring compliance with the new malaria testing protocols, urging them to join the government in standardizing malaria case management, Dr. Ogunyemi also highlighted the government’s commitment to making malaria treatment more accessible, affordable, and effective for all Lagosians.
With the Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination and Digitization Programme, Lagos is setting a precedent for malaria control in Nigeria and beyond. The countdown to a malaria-free Lagos has begun.