WHO: Nigeria Accounted for 27% of Half of Malaria Deaths Worldwide in 2020
- WHO says six countries, including Nigeria, accounted for around 50 percent of malaria deaths worldwide in 2020
- The 2020 figure represents about 14 million more cases in 2020, compared to 2019, and 69,000 more deaths
- According to the report, the COVID pandemic disrupted malaria services, leading to a marked increase in cases and deaths
In a message that ill break the hearts of many Nigerians, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has disclosed that six countries, including Nigeria, accounted for around 50 percent of malaria deaths worldwide in 2020.
WHO disclosed this in its world malaria report released on Monday, December 6, The Cable reports.
Source: Facebook
According to WHO’s latest report, there was an estimate of 241 million malaria cases and 627,000 malaria deaths — mostly of children under five — worldwide in 2020.
The 2020 figure represents about 14 million more cases in 2020, compared to 2019, and 69,000 more deaths.
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The report read in part:
“About 96% of malaria deaths globally were in 29 countries. Six countries – Nigeria (27%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12%), Uganda (5%), Mozambique (4%), Angola (3%) and Burkina Faso (3%) – accounted for just over half of all malaria deaths globally in 2020,” the report reads.
“Twenty-nine countries accounted for 96% of malaria cases globally, and six countries – Nigeria (27%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12%), Uganda (5%), Mozambique (4%), Angola (3.4%) and Burkina Faso (3.4%) – accounted for about 55% of all cases globally.”
Loan request for controversial $200M mosquito nets not from us - NPHCDA
Meanwhile, the National Primary Health Care Development Agency has debunked the claim that its executive director, Faisal Shuaib, had requested $200 million worth of loan for mosquito nets and drugs for malaria.
In a statement signed by Mohammad Ohitoto, the head of the public relations unit of the NPHCDA and seen by Legit.ng, the agency said that the claim is untrue.
According to Ohitoto, the report is a figment of the imagination of the writer as the ED of the agency never discussed nor granted an interview on the malaria programme.
Senate lampoons federal government over plan to borrow $200m to buy Mosquito nets
In another report, there was an uproar among Nigerians and on the media space on Tuesday, October 26, after the Senate committee on health blasted the Federal Government over its plan to borrow $200 million to buy mosquito nets.
According to the Senate committee, the loan is also part of the money needed by the Federal Government to purchase medicine needed for the fight against malaria in the country.
The chairman of the Senate committee on health, Ibrahim Oloriegbe, said the plan as presented by the permanent secretary of the ministry of health, Mamman Mahmuda is faulty.
Mahmuda had during his presentation said that the $200 million loan for the mosquito nets is important following the high rate of mortality among children under the age of five years due to malaria.
He also said that inaccessibility to malaria treatments and drugs have continued to pose a challenge to these children and their families.
Source: Legit.ng
