Abia lawmaker calls for collective action, funds to combat malaria

Hon Oga made this call in a statement obtained by Pulse on Friday, April 26.

According to the World Health Organization, malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female mosquitoes.

In 2019, there were an estimated 229 million cases of malaria worldwide, with an estimated 409,000 deaths.

According to the lawmaker, he said,  "According to WHO data, in 2022, a total of 4.1 billion US dollars (USD) has been mobilised to fight malaria worldwide, compared with an initial target of 7.8 billion USD. The funding gap between the amount invested and the resources required has widened recently, reaching 3.7 billion USD in 2022. 

"Insufficient resources remain a major obstacle at a time when external resources are becoming increasingly scarce and a greater contribution from national resources is now expected to reverse the trend and eradicate the pandemic."

He emphasised that it's now imperative for every nation and its lawmakers to prioritise the battle against malaria on a national level.

The Nigerian legislator also urged concrete action, stressing the need for increased and consistent allocation of national funds to malaria eradication and the establishment of a governance oversight system to ensure transparent resource utilisation and fairness.

Additionally, he underscored the importance of involving all sectors and communities in the fight against malaria.