Malaria still "greatest public health enemy" in Nigeria: minister

Nigeria's Health Minister Isaac Adewole has said Malaria remains "the greatest public health enemy" in the country and spoken about plans to combat the disease.

He was speaking at an event to mark the 2016 World Malaria Day on Monday in the capital Abuja.

The minister said many Nigerians died from Malaria every year.

He said that the disease had remained a great danger to pregnant women and children aged below five, adding that many families lose income as they are "too ill from malaria to go to work" and that many children are out of school due to the disease.

The minister told his audience that this was "unconscionable" given that malaria is preventable, treatable and curable.

He said some international partners had been helping Nigeria fight malaria, citing that the NGO, Roll Back Malaria, had made "tremendous resources" available to assist Nigeria in her malaria control efforts.

Nigeria's National Malaria Strategic Plan 2014 to 2020 aims to bring the prevalence of malaria to pre-elimination level of less than five percent and reduce malaria-related death to zero by 2020, Adewole said.

The plan promotes the use of long lasting insecticidal nets, indoor residual spraying, larviciding and environmental management, and prevention of malaria in pregnancy and among children aged below five, according to the the official.

Also in the plan are mandatory diagnosis of every suspected malaria case and treatment of every confirmed case, using Artemisinin-based combination therapy, said the minister. Endit