Malaria is a major public health problem and can be life-threatening. The disease, mostly found in tropical countries, is transmitted to humans by the female Anopheles mosquito. Nearly half of the world’s population is at risk of the disease. In 2021, for instance, around 247 million cases of malaria were reported and about 619,000 people died. Four African countries accounted for just over half of all malaria deaths worldwide: Nigeria (31.3%), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (12.6%), Tanzania (4.1%) and Niger (3.9%).
Professor Olugbenga A. Mokuolu currently oversees all malaria work in Nigeria for Management Sciences for Health, a global health advisory organisation. He’s also the former technical director to the National Malaria Elimination Programme in Nigeria. Molecular parasitology Professor, Segun Isaac Oyedeji, spoke to him about Nigeria’s malaria burden.
