Lagos (Nigeria): The Federal Government on Thursday declared zero tolerance for malaria, reaffirming its commitment to eliminating the disease nationwide.
The announcement was made during the mid-term review of the Impact Project and the malaria elimination roadmap in Lagos State.
Minister of Health, Prof. Ali Pate, praised the Lagos State Government for its leadership, describing the initiative as a model of determination and innovation.
“I commend the Lagos State Government for pioneering this initiative and showing unwavering dedication to malaria control,” Pate said.
He appreciated national and international partners for their collaboration and reaffirmed the Federal Ministry of Health‘s support through the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP).
Pate highlighted achievements, including onboarding Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) and community pharmacies into a regulated, digitised malaria service delivery system.
He noted that digital integration had improved data collection, analysis, and reporting, ensuring better tracking of progress and enabling evidence-driven decision-making for malaria interventions.
In his keynote address, Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu restated Lagos State’s commitment to moving from a high malaria burden to a pre-elimination stage.
Sanwo-Olu said this transition would ultimately pave the way for a malaria-free Lagos.
He stressed the importance of reviewing field data, ensuring proper Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) usage, and strengthening private pharmacy reporting through technology and collaboration.