The World Bank has raised concerns over Lagos State’s anti-malaria strategy, advocating that the government urgently scale up its tools for malaria prevention to sustain gains recorded across the state.
World Bank added that the government must introduce proactive case detection methods in high-risk communities, increase malaria vaccines, as well as, diagnostic services to achieve zero malaria cases in Lagos.
It stressed that the gains made in reducing malaria prevalence could be at risk if the government fails to address these identified lapses.
The Senior Health Specialist for the World Bank, Dr. Onoriode Ezire, disclosed this yesterday during the presentation at the Mid-Term Review of the Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination held in Victoria Island axis of the state.
The medical expert, while acknowledging Lagos’ remarkable progress in lowering malaria cases from about 15 percent in 2010 to just over 3 percent by 2022, the Bank emphasized that the state now stands at the “pre-malaria elimination stage,” a critical point that demands heightened vigilance.
He stressed that sustaining the progress would require every malaria case to be swiftly reported, investigated, and documented, alongside the adoption of zero reporting, where health facilities must provide updates even when no new cases are detected, to close data gaps.
According to him, “Every single case must be reported, investigated, and documented swiftly,” stressing the need for zero reporting, where health facilities provide updates even when no cases are detected, to ensure no data gaps.
“Lagos has made remarkable progress in reducing malaria prevalence, moving from about 15 percent in 2010 to just over 3 percent by 2022,” Ezire stated.
He noted that Lagos could leverage the ongoing World Bank-supported IMPACT Project, which is expected to run until December 2026, to build capacity, strengthen surveillance systems, and advocate for stronger political and financial commitments towards malaria elimination.
Earlier, the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, declared that Lagos had reached a decisive phase in its ambition to shift from high malaria burden to pre-elimination status, stressing the importance of accountability, data transparency, and community ownership in the ongoing campaign.
“When we kicked off this initiative on March 4, we had a clear vision: to transform hope into measurable results and shift Lagos from a high-burden malaria zone to one on the brink of elimination.
“Today’s review is more than a formality; it is a critical checkpoint in our journey to a malaria-free Lagos,” Sanwo-Olu said.
He stressed the significance of the digital reporting system now operational in public and private health facilities, which has bridged information gaps and improved diagnostic accuracy.
He said the innovation was not only strengthening surveillance but also integrating community pharmacies and patent medicine vendors into the state’s malaria control efforts.
“Every Lagosian must have access to rapid testing and the right treatment, when and where necessary,” Sanwo-Olu said, noting that scaling up interventions would not be allowed to compromise quality.
He added that continuous training, supervision, and alignment with the ILERA EKO health insurance platform were central to sustaining progress.
Sanwo-Olu further called on residents to take ownership of malaria prevention by eliminating mosquito breeding sites, testing before treatment, and trusting the health system. He maintained that community participation, alongside government and private sector collaboration, would ensure that malaria ceases to be a major public health problem in Lagos.
The Governor also acknowledged support from development partners, including the World Bank, Islamic Development Bank, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, WHO, and the National Malaria Elimination Programme.
He stressed that Lagos must remain a “shining example” of effective malaria control in Nigeria and West Africa.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, praised Lagos State for pioneering malaria pre-elimination strategies that are already yielding tangible results.
He described the digital integration of community pharmacies and medicine vendors into malaria service delivery as a “game-changer” in bridging gaps in Nigeria’s primary healthcare ecosystem.
“Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, through the National Malaria Elimination Programme, stood firmly behind Lagos in its drive, and reaffirmed that lessons from the state would inform national strategy,” he said.
He particularly lauded the deployment of technology to enhance real-time reporting and analysis, which he said was vital to identifying service delivery gaps, tracking progress, and informing policy adjustments in Nigeria’s broader malaria elimination campaign.
The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, provided a detailed scientific account of the state’s malaria data trajectory, revealing that Lagos is now firmly in the pre-elimination phase with prevalence around one percent.
He explained that only about 5.6 percent of fever cases tested in informal healthcare outlets turned out to be malaria, a dramatic decline from historic figures.
“This new reality meant that most fevers in Lagos were now ‘malaria-negative fevers,” requiring accurate diagnosis and alternative treatments,” Abayomi noted.
He stressed that adherence to the “test-before-treatment” protocol was essential to prevent misdiagnosis, drug misuse, and delayed recovery among patients.
The Commissioner added that Lagos was now adopting policies to expand diagnostic capacity, strengthen environmental health interventions, and intensify public awareness campaigns.
He emphasized that the next phase would demand a higher level of sophistication, surveillance, and behavioral change to move from pre-elimination to full elimination.
He warned that continued reliance on presumptive treatment of fever as malaria posed risks, reiterating that Lagos must embrace a new culture of evidence-based diagnosis and case management.
Abayomi also projected that with sustained political will and community cooperation, Lagos could transition into a malaria-free state within a few years.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Team Lead for Health Promotion, Disease Prevention, and Control, Dr. Maya Ngon, described Lagos as a model of strong leadership, innovation, and partnership in malaria control.
She said the integration of private providers into a digital surveillance system was a major step forward in strengthening Nigeria’s health system.
“WHO would continue to provide technical guidance, global best practices, and strategic options tailored to Lagos, urging stakeholders to convert innovations into measurable outcomes that save lives,” she assured.
She reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to work with Lagos “until the vision of malaria elimination is achieved.”
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