Nigeria is known to spend well over the World Health Organisation, WHO, estimated benchmark in the fight against the malaris scourge, yet has very little to show for it.
As the world marks World Malaria Day, WMD ,today, Tuesday the 25th of April, Nigeria appears to be losing the war against the deadly scourge, costing the country a whopping of N2.04 trillion on treatment, as against the World Health Organization, WHO, conservative estimate of $1.1 billion (N825 billion).
With the theme of this day’s WMD being, “Time to deliver zero malaria: Invest, innovate, implement,” collaborators are seeking for more rigorous ways in which to fight the epidemic and end it.
Even with several intervention programme put in place by the government to end malaria, the cost keeps rising, with an individual spending between N94.35 billion yearly), for one bout of uncomplicated malaria to an average of N20,000 or more for one bout of complicated malaria (totalling N2.04 trillion yearly.
The Federal Government is reported to spend an estimated 55 per cent of recurrent health budget yearly on malaria prevention and control – that is N319.451 billion of N580.82 billion health budget for 2023, outside over-the-counter self-medication engaged in by mostly poor Nigerian households for minor treatments or as preventative measures.
Experts are of the view that while the cost of treatment and prevention of malaria is getting increasingly higher by the day, it is however difficult to peg the exact cost adding that government could be spending approximately 50 to 60 per cent of its healthcare budget on malaria control, prevention, and treatment.
According to reports by the Guardian, Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Lagos Chapter, Gbolagade Iyiola, said: “Malaria is a major public health challenge in Nigeria, and its impact extends beyond the healthcare sector. Costs to the economy include both direct costs such as healthcare expenditures, as well as indirect costs such as lost productivity due to illness and death. Malaria reduces productivity, increases healthcare costs, and affects tourism and foreign investment. According to the WHO, the economic burden of malaria in Nigeria is estimated to be $1.1 billion per year.
“Nigeria suffers the world’s greatest malaria burden, with approximately 51 million cases and 207,000 deaths reported yearly (approximately 30 per cent of the total malaria burden in Africa), while 97 per cent of the total population (approximately 173 million) is at risk of infection. Malaria remains a significant burden in Nigeria, particularly in children under five years of age, and pregnant women.
“It accounts for 60 per cent of outpatient visits to hospitals and led to approximately 11 per cent maternal mortality and 30 per cent child mortality, especially among children less than five years,” Iyiola said.