By our Reporter
Nigeria loses a staggering $1.1 billion yearly to malaria, the federal government has said.
Prof. Muhammad Pate, the Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, disclosed this at an event in Abuja on Tuesday, November 26.
Speaking at the event, Pate said: “Malaria continues to exert an unacceptable toll on Nigeria With 27% of global malaria cases and 31% of global malaria d3aths, our country bears the heaviest burden of this disease.
In 2022, over 180,000 Nigerian children under the age of five lost their lives to malaria- a tragedy we have the tools to prevent.
This is not just a health crisis, it is an economic and developmental emergency.
Malaria reduces productivity, increases out-of-pocket health expenditures and, compounds the challenges of poverty.
The annual loss to Nigeria’s GDP from malaria exceeds $1.1 billion, a stark reminder of the economic imperative of elimination.”