The Senate has passed a bill seeking the establishment of a National Agency for Malaria Elimination, a move lawmakers say could strengthen Nigeria’s efforts to combat one of the country’s deadliest and most persistent diseases.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), scaled third reading on Wednesday after lawmakers adopted the report of the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary), chaired by Senator Ipalibo Harry Banigo.
According to the committee, the agency will serve as the central body coordinating malaria elimination programmes nationwide, shifting the country’s strategy from largely treating infections to preventing and ultimately eradicating the disease.
If established, the agency will operate through zonal and state offices, implementing policies based on scientific research, legal frameworks and measurable accountability mechanisms.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, described the bill as a significant milestone in Nigeria’s public health journey, noting that malaria continues to place a heavy burden on millions of Nigerians every year.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the bill was passed, Nwoko expressed optimism that eliminating malaria in Nigeria is an achievable goal.
He said the proposed agency would champion measures such as improved environmental sanitation, large-scale fumigation programmes, mosquito control initiatives and vaccine research.
According to him, the initiative could position Nigeria as the first country in Africa to successfully eliminate malaria.
The development comes weeks after the World Health Organisation approved the first malaria treatment specifically designed for newborns and infants.
The treatment, Artemether-lumefantrine, was granted WHO prequalification status after meeting international standards for safety, quality and effectiveness. Until now, infants have largely been treated with medicines formulated for older children, increasing the risk of dosing errors and adverse effects.
WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, recently described advances in malaria vaccines, treatments, diagnostics and mosquito-control technologies as evidence that ending malaria is increasingly within reach.
Despite these gains, malaria remains a major global health challenge. WHO estimates show that 282 million cases and about 610,000 deaths were recorded worldwide in 2024, with Africa accounting for 95 per cent of infections and fatalities.
Children under the age of five remain the most vulnerable group, representing nearly three-quarters of malaria-related deaths on the continent.
Health experts, however, warn that drug resistance, insecticide resistance, diagnostic challenges and declining international funding continue to threaten progress in the fight against the disease.
The bill now moves to the next legislative stage as stakeholders await further action on the proposed agency’s establishment.
