By Paul Effiong, Abuja
Federal government has intensified its fight against malaria with the launch of a groundbreaking initiative to prevent resistance to frontline malaria treatments.
This was disclosed by the Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Professor Mohammed Ali Pate at the weekend in Abuja while inaugurating Scaling the Optimal Use of Multiple ACTs for the purpose of Prevent Antimalarial Drug Resistance, STOP-AMDR, project.
Speaking during the official launch, Professor Pate said the initiative marks a new era in Nigeria’s public health strategy, assuring of innovation, research, as well as proactive response to drug resistance threats across Nigeria.
The minister that the project will serve as an operational research study to assess accessibility, feasibility and the cost effectiveness of deploying Multiple First inline Therapies, MFT, for malaria dictation and treatment.
Earlier in his address, the health minister lamented that Nigeria still bears the heaviest malaria burden in the world, noting that the country has 27% of global malaria cases, as well as 31% of global malaria deaths, according to the World Health Organisation’s 2024 report.
Pate, who described malaria as a national emergency that demands continuous investment in new tools, research and partnerships, equally advocated the support of all stakeholders and government agencies.
The minister equally informed that despite the increase in malaria statistics, different progress has been made over the years, citing the National Malaria Indicator Survey, which revealed a decline in malaria prevalence from 42% in 2010 to 22% in 2021.
He also expressed optimism that ongoing interventions would yield further reduction, providing the foundation for sustainable innovations like the MFT strategy project.
The minister explained: “The STOP-AMDR project represents a bold and forward-looking response to the global challenge of antimalarial resistance”, adding that “It operationalizes WHO’s guidance to diversify treatment options under robust surveillance and stewardship”.
Under the project, the minister pointed out that Nigeria will evaluate three main antimalarial therapies including Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, DHP, Pyronaridine-artesunate, PA, and Artemether-lumefantrine, AL, in order to fully determine their complementary effectiveness across board.
The initiative, according to government, seeks to protect the therapeutic value of artemisinin-based combination therapies, ACTs, which has remained the backbone of malaria treatment not only in Nigeria, but across the entire Africa Continent.
The minister equally revealed that the four-year research project will be implemented in Enugu and Kwara States, aligning with similar studies conducted in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda and Rwanda.
The comparative results, he confirmed will provide actionable data for policy recommendations in order to scale-up functional strategies and global learning on malaria prevention and control.
He explained that the project would focus on three main fronts, accessibility, feasibility, as well as cost, so as to ensure that communities can easily access treatment options, that health systems can deliver to them effectively and that the economic implications are well-understood and managed for sustainability.
Pate assured Nigerians that the country currently faces no immediate threat to the effectiveness of ACTs, even though he warned that partial resistance cases has been reported in some African countries.
According to him, “Nigeria’s size and population dynamics mean that any resistance emergence could have devastating implications across the continent”.
Beyond drug protection, the STOP-AMDR project will also strengthen the capacity of frontline health workers, including doctors, pharmacists as well as community health practitioners.
Meanwhile, the minister also commended Nigeria’s local and international partners, including Jhpiego, UNITAID and the World Health Organisation for their vast contributions to the project’s design and implementation.
He, however, described the launch as an affirmation of Nigeria’s commitment to sustain the progress already made in malaria elimination and protect the efficacy of life-saving medicines.
The minister said: “This project symbolises our determination to secure the health of our citizens and ensure a malaria-free Nigeria”.
He called on policymakers, health professionals and donor partners to fully support the initiative, ensuring transparent execution, data-driven learning and eventual nationwide adoption.
He maintained: “Our collective responsibility is to deliver a future where malaria no longer steals lives or threatens development”.
Expressing gratitude to critical stakeholders, Pate acknowledged the steadfast role of the Department of Public Health, NMEP, and various donor agencies for their unwavering leadership and support in advancing malaria control and resistance surveillance across the country.
