The Federal Government has adopted a “zero tolerance” stance on malaria, underscoring its determination to wipe out the disease across Nigeria.
The announcement came on Thursday during the mid-term appraisal of the Impact Project and the state’s malaria-elimination roadmap in Lagos.
Health Minister Prof. Ali Pate praised Lagos State for spearheading innovative control measures, calling its efforts a benchmark for other regions. He also thanked both local and international collaborators for strengthening the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP).
According to Prof. Pate, one of the programme’s key milestones has been the inclusion of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) and community pharmacies in a regulated, fully digitized malaria service network.
This shift to electronic reporting, he explained, has significantly enhanced the speed and accuracy of case tracking, data analysis, and decision-making.
In his keynote address, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu reaffirmed Lagos’s ambition to transition from a high-burden malaria zone into the pre-elimination phase—a crucial step en route to making the city malaria-free. He stressed three priority areas:
- Rigorous review of frontline data to detect trends early
- Strict adherence to Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) protocols in all health outlets
- Enhanced digital reporting by private pharmacies and PPMVs through integrated platforms
Governor Sanwo-Olu described these measures as pillars for sustaining progress and called on stakeholders to leverage technology and partnerships to close remaining gaps. With the Impact Project now at its midpoint, both federal and state authorities are set to intensify community engagement, supply-chain management, and surveillance activities to protect vulnerable populations ahead of the next rainy season.
