The World Health Organisation has said that Nigeria has the highest rate of malaria cases in the world.
According to the World Malaria Report 2019, Nigeria accounts for 25 per cent of malaria cases globally.
Six African countries; Nigeria (25 per cent), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12 per cent), Uganda (five per cent), and Côte d’Ivoire, Mozambique, and Niger (four per cent each) accounted for more than half of all malaria cases worldwide.
The report also revealed that Nigeria accounted for almost 24 per cent of all global malaria deaths, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (11 per cent), the United Republic of Tanzania (Five per cent), and Angola, Mozambique and Niger (four per cent each).
The report says, “In 2018, prevalence of exposure to malaria infection in pregnancy was highest in the West African subregion and Central Africa (each with 35 per cent), followed by East and Southern Africa (20 per cent). About 39 per cent of these were in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria.
“There were about 155 million malaria cases in the 11 high burden to high impact (HBHI) countries in 2018, compared with 177 million in 2010. The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Nigeria accounted for 84 million (54 per cent) of total cases.
“Of the 10 highest burden countries in Africa, Ghana and Nigeria reported the highest absolute increases in cases of malaria in 2018 compared with 2017.
“Malaria deaths reduced from about 400 000 in 2010 to about 260 000 in 2018, the largest reduction being in Nigeria, from almost 153 000 deaths in 2010 to about 95 000 deaths in 2018.”
