Nigeria Moves to Prevent Malaria Drug Resistance
Nigeria has launched a four-year initiative to safeguard the effectiveness of malaria treatments and prevent the emergence of drug resistance that could reverse decades of public health gains.
The project, Scaling the Optimal Use of Multiple ACTs to Prevent Antimalarial Drug Resistance (STOP-AMDR), was inaugurated in Abuja by the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
It will test the feasibility, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness of deploying multiple first-line therapies (MFT) for malaria treatment across Nigeria.
Coordinated by Jhpiego, an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, and funded by UNITAID, the project is being implemented with the Federal Ministry of Health and key partners.
It will pilot in Enugu and Kwara States using three artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs)—dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine, pyronaridine-artesunate, and artemether-lumefantrine—to generate evidence for national policy reforms.
Pate, represented by the Director of Public Health, Dr. Godwin Ntadom, said the initiative was timely given Nigeria’s malaria burden of 27 percent of global cases and 31 percent of deaths.
He noted that although prevalence declined from 42 percent in 2010 to 22 percent in 2021, emerging resistance in parts of Africa posed a serious threat.
“The size and diversity of Nigeria place the country at significant risk. Any emergence of drug resistance here will have implications for Africa and the world,” he said, stressing that the project reflects Nigeria’s commitment to research, capacity building, and surveillance.
The World Health Organization (WHO) praised Nigeria’s proactive approach.
WHO Nigeria’s National Professional Officer, Dr. Lynda Ozor, warned that overusing lumefantrine could reduce its potency before new malaria drugs become available.
She said WHO is supporting Nigeria to enhance molecular surveillance and adopt rotational or multiple-drug strategies to delay resistance.
Ozor identified challenges such as weak surveillance systems, incomplete molecular data, and funding gaps, calling for stronger coordination and investment.
Kwara State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Amina Ahmed El-Imam, pledged full support, describing the initiative as a strategic response to a persistent national threat.
Jhpiego Country Director, Dr. Adetiloye Oniyire, said Nigeria must act now to prevent a reversal of 30 years of malaria control gains.
“This is about protecting lifesaving medicines and ensuring that decades of progress are not lost,” he said.
