The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate, has inaugurated the SCOPE-AMDR Project, a groundbreaking operational research initiative aimed at testing the accessibility, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness of deploying multiple first-line therapies for malaria treatment in Nigeria.
Speaking at the formal launch of the Nigeria Multiple First-line Therapy Implementation Plan to mitigate antimalarial drug resistance in Abuja, Professor Pate expressed optimism that the study would help reverse Nigeria’s heavy malaria burden—currently accounting for 27 percent of global malaria cases and 31 percent of malaria deaths worldwide.
Represented by the Director of Public Health, Dr. Godwin Ntadom, the Minister noted that although Nigeria has made remarkable progress—reducing malaria prevalence from 42 percent in 2010 to 22 percent in 2021—the risk of drug resistance remains a serious concern.
“This burden amplifies the risk of resistance emergence with serious consequences for health outcomes and system resilience,” he stated.
Professor Pate explained that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s Rethinking Malaria Strategy, which promotes innovations such as malaria vaccines, improved local manufacturing of antimalarial commodities, and enhanced vector control mechanisms.
The project—jointly led by the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Malaria Elimination Programme, and the State Ministries of Health in Kwara and Enugu—will run for two years and generate evidence-based policy recommendations. It will test three front-line antimalarial drug combinations under close surveillance to prevent resistance and sustain treatment efficacy.
He added that the project will also strengthen capacity building for frontline health workers, including clinicians, pharmacists, and community health practitioners, through training on adherence, pharmacovigilance, and data collection. A Research Advisory Council has also been established to ensure technical oversight and ethical integrity throughout the process.
Reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to malaria elimination, Professor Pate called for stronger collaboration among state governments, development partners, and the global malaria community.
“With collective resolve, we will push malaria out of Nigeria and Africa. This project reflects our determination to safeguard our citizens and sustain the gains we have achieved in malaria control,” he declared.
The Minister commended the World Health Organization (WHO), international partners, and local researchers for their continued support toward achieving a malaria-free Nigeria.
In his remarks, Dr. Adetiloye Oniyire, Country Director of international health organization Jhpiego Nigeria, warned about the growing threat of drug-resistant malaria in sub-Saharan Africa, stressing the need for proactive measures to prevent its spread to Nigeria.
“Drug-resistant malaria has not yet reached Nigeria, but we cannot afford to wait until it does. The earlier we act, the better,” Dr. Oniyire cautioned.
He explained that Jhpiego, in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Health and other stakeholders, is implementing a four-year UNICEF-funded research project focused on real-time implementation research to strengthen Nigeria’s response to malaria treatment and resistance monitoring.
“It’s like building the ship and sailing with it,” he said. “We are learning as we go, adapting our systems based on findings, and ensuring that Nigeria stays ahead in the fight against malaria.”
Dr. Oniyire noted that the research involves collaboration with the University of Ibadan and the University of Calabar, bringing together government agencies, NGOs, researchers, and community groups in a united front against malaria.
He warned that failure to curb the spread of resistant strains could set back global malaria control efforts by up to 30 years, undermining progress in reducing malaria-related deaths and illness.
Representing one of the pilot states, Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam, pledged full commitment to the project’s success, describing it as a timely and strategic response to a persistent national health threat.
Dr. El-Imam noted that Kwara State has intensified the use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) to reduce self-medication and incomplete treatment cycles.
“As Secretary of the Nigerian Health Commissioners Forum, I assure you that all 37 sub-nationals will support a national scale-up. But malaria is not a box-ticking exercise; this research must produce measurable results,” she said.
RN
