By SCM Health Desk I Friday, August 07, 2026
ABUJA — In a major boost to Nigeria’s public health infrastructure and child survival strategies, the Federal Government has officially initiated the policy enabling process for the nationwide adoption and wider scale-up of Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC).
The strategic initiative targets children under two years of age living in regions affected by year-round transmission, marking a decisive shift in the country’s national health campaign.
The disclosure was made in Abuja during a high-level dissemination meeting on the implementation research for PMC. Addressing public health stakeholders, development partners, and health officials, the Honourable Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, directed the Department of Public Health and the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) to immediately establish the necessary regulatory and policy frameworks to facilitate a broader rollout.
Bridging Equity and Expanding Protection
Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention (PMC) is a World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended strategy designed to administer preventive antimalarial treatments to infants during routine immunization schedules.
While Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) has been widely deployed in regions with short, intense rainy seasons—primarily in northern Nigeria—PMC fills a critical gap for infants in areas with non-seasonal, year-round malaria risk, particularly across southern states.
Dr. Salako highlighted that scaling up PMC serves as a crucial mechanism to ensure equitable health access for vulnerable demographics across all geo-political zones.
”The team that conducted this study has produced very promising outcomes. As government, we also want to assess the cost-effectiveness of the intervention, which is equally important. In the interim, I direct the Department of Public Health and the National Malaria Elimination Programme to work towards the policy enablement that will introduce Perennial Malaria Chemoprevention on a larger scale as part of our arsenal for eliminating malaria in Nigeria,” the Minister declared.
The pilot study, initiated under the National Malaria Strategic Plan 2021–2025, evaluated the feasibility, operational integration, and preventive efficacy of PMC in states previously ineligible for seasonal interventions. Following encouraging empirical data from the field, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is preparing to integrate the intervention into the newly framed National Malaria Strategic Plan 2026–2030.
Nigeria has recorded measurable progress in reducing overall malaria burden over the past decade and a half. According to data from the 2025 Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey, national malaria prevalence dropped significantly from 42 per cent in 2010 down to 15 per cent in 2025.
Despite these gains, the latest WHO World Malaria Report highlights the heavy toll the disease continues to exact on the country’s healthcare system. Nigeria currently accounts for 24.3 per cent of global malaria cases and 30.3 per cent of all malaria-related deaths worldwide, with infants and pregnant women remaining the most susceptible populations.
The deployment of PMC is structured to complement existing interventions, including insecticidal-treated nets (ITNs), indoor residual spraying, and rapid diagnostic testing. By strengthening primary healthcare systems and embedding PMC into routine childhood immunization visits, the government aims to reduce infant hospitalizations and under-five mortality rates substantially.
Dr. Salako reaffirmed the administration’s resolve to back all healthcare policies with robust scientific research, operational evaluation, and sustainable funding mechanisms. He commended international development partners, state governments, research institutions, and frontline health workers for their commitment to executing the pilot phase.
As the Department of Public Health and NMEP move to formalize guidelines, Nigeria takes a firm step forward in its long-term vision to eliminate malaria as a public health threat.
