During the 2024 World Malaria Day event in Maiduguri, Prof. Baba Gana, the Commissioner of Health and Human Resources in Borno State, unveiled concerning statistics regarding malaria infections in the state. According to him, in 2023 alone, there were 527,305 confirmed cases of malaria, with 15,036 being severe. The previous year, 2022, saw 600,141 infections, including 13,492 severe cases, while in 2021, there were 714,904 infections, with 20,774 severe cases,leadership reports.
Using data from the District Health Information Software (DHIS-2), Prof. Gana highlighted a consistent decrease in malaria cases annually from 2021 to 2023. He credited this decline to the joint efforts of the Federal Government’s National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), the Borno State Government’s Ministry of Health, and their partners.
Prof. Gana expressed satisfaction with the state’s malaria elimination program, citing the positive findings of the 2021 National Malaria Indicator Survey (NMIS). Key achievements included high rates of net ownership and usage, as well as significant coverage of interventions such as Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) targeting children aged 3 months to 5 years.
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Furthermore, the Commissioner announced the engagement of a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to provide comprehensive malaria services free of charge across the state. He commended the efforts of various partners, including the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, MSF, INTERSOS, and others, in supporting malaria control initiatives.
Dr. Salisu Ibrahim, the state Coordinator of WHO, praised the Borno State Government for prioritizing healthcare and pledged continued support from WHO and its partners in combating malaria and other infectious diseases.
