Nigeria Loses $1.1 Billion to Malaria Annually - Govt

27 November 2024
Daily Trust (Abuja)
By Ojoma Akor

The federal government said Nigeria loses over $1.1 billion annually to malaria, significantly impacting the nation's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This was disclosed by the Coordinating Minister of Health & Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, during the inaugural meeting of the Advisory on Malaria Elimination in Nigeria (AMEN) in Abuja.

Prof. Pate described malaria as not only a health crisis but also an economic and developmental emergency that must be addressed urgently.

He noted that Nigeria accounts for 27% of global malaria cases and 31% of global malaria-related deaths.

He said in 2022 alone, over 180,000 Nigerian children under the age of five lost their lives to malaria, a preventable tragedy.

The minister said the launch of the advisory board is a strategic move by the federal government to tackle the persistent issues surrounding malaria and its devastating effects on both health and economic growth.

Read the original article on Daily Trust.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2024 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.