The Senate has passed for third reading a bill seeking the establishment of the National Agency for Malaria Elimination, a proposed institution designed to coordinate efforts aimed at preventing, controlling and ultimately eradicating malaria in Nigeria.
The legislation, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), was approved following the consideration and adoption of a report by the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), chaired by Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo (Rivers West).
According to the committee, the proposed agency will coordinate national malaria elimination programmes and shift Nigeria’s response from a largely treatment-focused approach to one centred on prevention and eradication.
The agency is also expected to establish zonal and state offices to drive implementation through a framework based on law, scientific evidence and accountability.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, described the bill as a major milestone in the fight against malaria, noting that the disease remains one of Nigeria’s most persistent public health challenges.
Speaking after the passage of the bill, Ned Nwoko expressed optimism that eliminating malaria in Nigeria is both achievable and realistic.
He said the proposed agency would promote strategies such as improved waste management, environmental fumigation and vaccine research, adding that Nigeria could become the first malaria-free nation in Africa if the initiative is successfully implemented.
WHO Approves Malaria Treatment for Newborns
The Senate’s action comes weeks after the World Health Organization announced the prequalification of a malaria treatment specifically designed for newborns and infants for the first time.
The treatment, Artemether-lumefantrine, is the first malaria medicine formulated specifically for the youngest victims of the mosquito-borne disease.
According to the WHO, prequalification confirms that the medicine meets international standards for quality, safety and effectiveness.
Before the approval, infants were typically treated using formulations developed for older children, increasing the risk of dosage errors, side effects and toxicity.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said new vaccines, diagnostic tools, next-generation mosquito nets and improved medicines are helping to transform the global fight against malaria.
“For centuries, malaria has stolen children from their parents, and health, wealth and hope from communities,” he said.
“But today, the story is changing. New vaccines, diagnostic tests, next-generation mosquito nets and effective medicines, including those adapted for the youngest, are helping to turn the tide.
“Ending malaria in our lifetime is no longer a dream — it is a real possibility, but only with sustained political and financial commitment. Now we can. Now we must.”
According to WHO estimates, malaria caused approximately 282 million cases and 610,000 deaths across 80 countries in 2024. Africa accounted for about 95 per cent of both cases and deaths, with children under five representing roughly three-quarters of malaria-related fatalities.
The global health agency has warned that progress against the disease continues to face challenges, including drug resistance, insecticide resistance, diagnostic failures and declining international health funding.