Background:

Nigeria exerts up to 25% of the malaria disease burden in Africa hence contributing significantly to the one million lives lost per year, mostly children and pregnant women, 10% of Africa’s overall disease burden and the estimated $12 billion a year lost in health costs and productivity. She also contributes a quarter to the total African malaria morbidity and mortality burden Malaria in Nigeria is endemic and constitutes a major public health problem.

Up to 97% of the country’s 149.2 million persons are estimated to be at risk of the disease. Transmission of malaria is stable and perennial in all parts of the country. Malaria accounts for 11% of maternal mortality. Malaria also results in lower mean maternal haematocrit and 10% incidence of low birth weight.

The Health Management Information Systems reports 300,000 annual deaths. In children, malaria is responsible for 25% of all infant-related mortality and 30% of child-related mortality The Country has a National Malaria Strategic Plan, which is line with the revised Abuja RBM targets towards scaling up malaria interventions and health systems strengthening. Although key indicators still show national low coverage of less than 10% of key interventions , significant disparities in coverage rates exist by State (up to 30% coverage in some states ) and even >60% in some LGAs.

Global Fund Contribution to Nigeria Malaria Control Effort.  

The large investment through Global Fund support  in Round 2 and Round 4 has translated about  US$0.65 cents per capita over the grants’ lifespan. This funding has  provided the platform for an improved performance framework.

The GF Round 8 expected  goal is  to reduce by 50% the 2000 malaria morbidity and mortality figures by 2013 and minimize the socio-economic impact of the disease with specific objectives to contribute to the rapid scale up to universal coverage of the population at risk of malaria in 2010, through 100% coverage and 80% use of LLINs and sustaining this through 2013., increase prompt and effective treatment of malaria using ACTs to 80% of the population at risk by 2011 and sustain through 2013 as well as to scale up parasitological diagnosis of malaria in patients above five at health facilities to 80% by 2013.

Other objectives are to reach at least 80% of the population at risk (communities, families, care providers, and health workers) by 2010 through BCC for awareness and appropriate action on malaria prevention and treatment and sustaining this through 2013. and to contribute to health systems strengthening (including community-system strengthening) through malaria control activities.   

The Global Fund effort is complementary to the efforts of the Government of Nigeria, the World Bank, DFID, USAID, PMI and other bilateral partners and the private sector.