THE GUARDIAN
Despite a series of intervention programmes against the malaria epidemic in recent times, Nigeria is apparently not winning the war against the deadly scourge, with an estimated sum of N2.04 trillion still routinely spent on treatments yearly.
The conservative estimate of malaria cost, which is a far-cry from the $1.1 billion (N825 billion) estimated by the World Health Organisation (WHO), still excludes out-of-pocket costs of self-medication, and preventive measures by Nigerian households.
And as the globe marks the World Malaria Day (WMD) 2023, today, with the theme: “Time to deliver zero malaria: Invest, innovate, implement”, stakeholders have rallied the government and health parties to a renewed vigour and financing towards ending the scourge.
A breakdown of economic cost of malaria showed that of the estimated 51 million cases of malaria recorded yearly in Nigeria, an individual spends an average of N1,850 to treat one bout of uncomplicated malaria (totalling N94.35 billion yearly), and an average of N20,000 for one bout of complicated malaria (totalling N2.04 trillion yearly).
It also estimated that the Federal Government spends about 55 per cent of recurrent health budget yearly on malaria prevention and control – that is N319.451 billion of N580.82 billion health budget for 2023.
Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Lagos Chapter, Gbolagade Iyiola, told The Guardian that the estimated cost for an individual to treat uncomplicated malaria in Nigeria ranges from approximately N700 to N3000, depending on the type of treatment, and the healthcare facility visited.
Iyiola added that the cost for treating complicated malaria could be significantly higher, ranging from N20,000 to N60,000, or more. On the cost to the Nigerian government, the consultant pharmacist said: “This cost includes expenditures on healthcare facilities, medication, and personnel. The exact cost is difficult to estimate, but it is estimated that the government spends approximately 50 to 60 per cent of its healthcare budget on malaria control, prevention, and treatment.”
