The 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) has put malaria-related deaths in Nigeria at 194,000 annually.
The scourge has also been identified as the most common preventable public health problem in Nigeria, taking a lethal toll on 97% of the Nigerian population, especially children under five years old and pregnant women.
The urgency of the life-threatening scourge was brought to light during an advocacy engagement with Journalists and media houses at the 2025 campaign for the distribution of 3.1 million insecticide-treated nets in the state, which was held in Asaba on Tuesday by the Delta State Ministry of Health in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme, the Society for Family Health, SFH, and other malaria eradication partners.
Declaring the event open, Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Philomena Okeowo, explained that the involvement of the media in its advocacy drive was crucial to achieving a zero-malaria status for Nigeria.
Onojaeme noted that the media would help drive the message of compliance with the proper use of insecticide treated nets, as well as be a source of reliable information dissemination to community members across the state.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of the National Malaria Eradication Programme, Dr. Nnenna Ogbulafor, represented by Mrs. Joke Osadare urged Journalists to consider themselves as key stakeholders in the fight against the malaria scourge, noting that the Insecticide Treated Nets Mass Campaign was strategic in ensuring that every house-hold received the nets as a buffer against the spread of malaria in the state.
Dr Ogbulafor solicited the collaboration of the media with the campaign team in the propagation of ITNs distribution in Delta State.
In a welcome address, the State Programme Manager of the Delta State Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr. Julie Aniah, re-iterated the importance of the media engagement as part of the strategies of ensuring consistent use of ITNs by Deltans, recalling that the ITN campaign was usually carried out at three years intervals.
Dr. Aniah disclosed that 3.185 million nets were distributed to Deltans in 2022, but that 3.1million nets would be distributed this year across the state.
She indicated that some areas would not be getting the ITNs during this distribution for what she explained was a de-prioritization of such areas, stressing that areas with higher malaria prevalence would be accorded higher priority.
In their remarks, the representatives of the Society for Family Health, Mr. John Ocholi and the Catholic Relief Services, Babasoji Asuni, emphasized the critical role of the media in the success of the ITN distribution campaign, stressing the need for the media to assist in spreading information about the dangers of malaria infection and the need for communities to protect themselves through the consistent use of Insecticide Treated Nets.
They further explained that every household in the prioritized wards of the state would receive the ITNs and encouraged families and community members to use the nets properly by airing them under a shaded area for at least 24 hours and enjoy the benefits of sleeping in ITNs, which they listed as protection from mosquito bites and its attendant malaria infection, saving life and out-of-pocket expenses for malaria treatment, as well as ensuring a sound and undisturbed sleep.
In his address, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Delta State Council, Comrade Churchill Oyowe thanked the Ministry for the programme and encouraged Journalists in the state to take ownership of the zero-malaria campaign by using their professional expertise in the reportage of malaria-related issues.
Oyowe admonished them to take the advocacy seriously as malaria was a far deadly adversary than many diseases and needed the collective efforts of all to tame it
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