Lagos State Government on Wednesday intensified its campaign towards malaria elimination with a renewed call for residents to embrace accurate testing before treatment, as the State disclosed that malaria prevalence has declined dramatically to below two per cent, placing Lagos firmly on the path to pre-elimination.

The renewed commitment formed the focus of discussions at the symposium organised by the State Ministry of Health to commemorate the Year 2026 World Malaria Day held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium with the theme: “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can, Now We Must.”

Delivering the keynote address and PowerPoint presentation, the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, described malaria as one of the biggest global public health challenges, noting that about 260 million people contract the disease annually while nearly 600,000 deaths are recorded worldwide.

According to him, Africa accounts for 95 per cent of global malaria cases, while Nigeria alone contributes approximately 27 per cent of the global burden, making the country one of the highest malaria burden nations in the world.

The Commissioner, however, noted that Lagos had continued to distinguish itself from many other states through deliberate investments in public health interventions, surveillance, data-driven policies, and environmental management strategies targeted at malaria elimination.

He explained that despite Lagos being surrounded by water bodies and coastal environments favourable for mosquito breeding, malaria prevalence in the State had remained below two per cent in recent years, unlike neighbouring states such as Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo where prevalence rates range between 20 and 30 per cent.

Prof. Abayomi disclosed that fifteen years ago, about 15 out of every 100 Lagos residents carried malaria parasites, adding that the figure reduced to 10 per cent a decade ago and has now dropped significantly to approximately two per cent, a development he described as clear evidence that Lagos was winning the fight against malaria transmission.

The Commissioner explained that the State Government became concerned after observing that while global and local data showed malaria prevalence was declining in Lagos, health facilities were still diagnosing and treating large numbers of patients for malaria.

He revealed that the State subsequently conducted one of the most extensive malaria studies ever undertaken in Nigeria in collaboration with partners including the , National Malaria Elimination Programme, Pharmacy Council of Nigeria, and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors.

According to him, over 78,000 residents with fever symptoms were tested across 514 facilities, including 392 pharmacies and Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors as well as 122 Primary Health Centres, using Rapid Diagnostic Tests validated to be about 98 per cent accurate.

The findings, he said, showed that only five per cent of those who believed they had malaria actually tested positive, indicating that about 95 per cent of fever cases in Lagos were caused by illnesses other than malaria.

“This finding changed everything. We realised that most people being treated for malaria did not actually have malaria. That is why Lagos introduced a strict policy of ‘No Treatment Without Testing,’” he stated.

Prof. Abayomi stressed that antimalarial drugs remained highly effective when administered to patients with confirmed malaria, warning that wrong diagnosis often fuels the misconception that malaria medicines no longer work.

He added that the State had adopted a comprehensive “Prevent,Test, Treat and Track” strategy involving mandatory testing of suspected cases, treatment of only confirmed cases, and digital tracking of positive cases to identify malaria hotspots and eliminate mosquito breeding sites through targeted environmental interventions.

Earlier in her opening remarks, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Kemi Ogunyemi, described the symposium as an opportunity to renew collective commitment towards ending one of the world’s most persistent public health challenges.

She noted that the Year 2026 World Malaria Day theme reflected both a celebration of progress made and a call for urgent, coordinated and sustained action towards malaria elimination.

Dr. Ogunyemi observed that although Lagos had recorded significant progress with malaria prevalence declining to 2 per cent, the disease still remained a major contributor to morbidity due to environmental conditions, population density, and behavioural practices that sustain transmission.

The Special Adviser stated that the Lagos State Government under the THEMES+ Agenda remained committed to evidence-based malaria interventions focusing on vector control, environmental sanitation, universal access to diagnosis and treatment, surveillance strengthening, community engagement, and strategic partnerships.

She called on healthcare workers, development partners, community leaders, and residents to intensify environmental sanitation efforts, embrace testing before treatment, and support interventions capable of reducing malaria transmission across communities.

In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Dayo Lajide, said Lagos State had moved beyond malaria control and was now deliberately deploying innovation, digital systems, and strategic partnerships towards malaria elimination.

She disclosed that over 978,000 malaria cases were treated across public and private health facilities in 2025, explaining that the high number reflected improved tracking and surveillance systems capable of capturing more accurate malaria data across the State.

Dr. Lajide noted that through partnership with the World Health Organization, Lagos had digitised 514 private healthcare providers, including pharmacies and medicine vendors, while recording only five per cent malaria positivity within the network, further reinforcing the need for strict adherence to the “Test Before Treat” policy.

Also presenting the Lagos malaria story, the State Malaria Elimination Programme Manager, Dr. Abimbola Osinowo, said Lagos had transformed its malaria response through the IMPACT Project introduced in 2024.

She explained that the State adopted the strategy of “Prevent, Test, Treat and Track,” ensuring free rapid diagnostic testing and access to Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies in public facilities while strengthening surveillance and accountability systems.

Dr. Osinowo added that pregnant women now receive insecticide-treated nets during antenatal visits while communities were increasingly mobilised through awareness campaigns and women-led advocacy initiatives to sustain preventive practices and improve health-seeking behaviour.

In her goodwill message, the Territorial Manager of the Society for Family Health (SFH), Jennifer Ladokun, commended the Lagos State Government for the remarkable progress recorded through the Lagos Malaria IMPACT Project.

She noted that interventions implemented across public and private health facilities had strengthened malaria case management, healthcare worker capacity building, commodity distribution, logistics systems, and community engagement, thereby improving access to quality malaria services for millions of Lagos residents.

Speaking on behalf of the World Health Organization State Coordinator, the WHO Cluster Supervisor for Ikeja LGA, Dr. Ogundimu Opeyemi, said the World Malaria Day commemoration was taking place at a critical moment in Lagos’ journey towards malaria pre-elimination.

He commended the State Government and stakeholders for expanding rapid diagnostic testing, promoting the “Test Before You Treat” policy, and strengthening public enlightenment efforts, while reaffirming WHO’s commitment to supporting Lagos in scaling up malaria interventions and strengthening resilient health systems.

Also delivering a goodwill message, the Lagos State President of the Nigerian Association of Patent and Proprietary Medicines Dealers represented by SSA on Media and Publicity, Prince Olafusi Alex Kolawole, applauded the engagement of community healthcare providers in malaria diagnosis and management.

He disclosed that about 77,000 malaria rapid diagnostic tests conducted through 391 engaged healthcare providers recorded only five per cent positivity, significantly reducing guesswork in malaria treatment and improving rational use of antimalarial medicines at community level.

Meanwhile, Chairman, Lagos State Association of the Deaf , Mr. Godwin Nwadiogbu, advocated improved inclusiveness in healthcare delivery, especially for persons with disabilities.

He commended the Ministry of Health for strengthening the Grievance Redress Mechanism, noting that the initiative had improved accountability and service delivery for deaf patients accessing malaria treatment and healthcare services at Primary Healthcare Centres across the State.

The symposium ended with a strong collective resolve among government officials, development partners, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and stakeholders to sustain investments, strengthen surveillance, deepen community engagement, and accelerate coordinated actions towards achieving a malaria-free Lagos State.

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