Malaria Consortium Nigeria partners with government to fight malaria and improve child health through training, prevention, and seasonal chemoprevention in high-risk states.
About Malaria Consortium Nigeria
Nigeria has the highest malaria burden in the world, with over 61 million cases and 95,000 deaths reported in 2019 alone. Malaria especially affects pregnant women and young children, making it a critical public health challenge for the country. Since 2008, Malaria Consortium Nigeria has been working hard to reduce malaria and make children healthier by partnering with others, using new programmes, and training people.
What Does Malaria Consortium Nigeria Do?
Malaria Consortium is a leading international non-governmental organisation focused on controlling malaria and other communicable diseases. In Nigeria, it works closely with the Federal Ministry of Health, the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), and other partners to deliver effective malaria interventions across high-risk states.
Since 2008, Malaria Consortium Nigeria has been working hard to reduce malaria and make children healthier by partnering with others, using new programmes, and training people.
Key Programmes and Activities
Supporting Nigeria’s National Malaria Elimination Programme
Malaria Consortium is an important partner in Nigeria’s plan to lower malaria cases to very low levels by 2025. This means making sure less than 10% of people have malaria parasites and fewer than 50 children out of every 1,000 newborns die from malaria. The organisation helps the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) by improving how malaria is treated, making data more accurate, and giving more people access to tools that prevent malaria in 13 states where malaria is very common.
For example, Between 2021 and 2023, Malaria Consortium supported the delivery of over five million mosquito nets (LLINs) in Jigawa and Yobe states. They also provided seasonal malaria prevention treatment (SMC) for nearly eight million children every year in Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, and Niger states. Source: Malaria Consortium Official Website, 2021
Capacity Building and Community Engagement
Malaria Consortium focuses heavily on training healthcare workers and community health influencers to improve malaria diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. In May 2025, the organisation partnered with Kogi State Government to conduct a three-day training for community-level implementers on Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) and proper use of anti-malaria drugs. Source: Kogi State Government, 2025
Through the Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services (CHIPS) programme, Malaria Consortium supports community-based primary healthcare that integrates malaria prevention with maternal, newborn, and child health services. This approach helps increase demand for quality health services and ensures equitable access, especially in rural and underserved areas. Source: Malaria Consortium, 2025
Health Systems Strengthening and Research
Apart from giving direct health support, Malaria Consortium also helps to make Nigeria’s health system stronger. They do this by improving how malaria data is collected, checked, and reported. When the data is correct, it helps government leaders plan well and share health resources better. Malaria Consortium also runs practical research projects to try out new ways of fighting malaria and to help guide health decisions at the national level.
One of their key projects, SuNMaP 2, funded by UK aid, supports sustainable malaria programming across 165 local government areas in six states, focusing on integration of prevention, treatment, and behaviour change communication.
Challenges and the Way Forward
Even with the progress made, Nigeria still has some challenges in malaria control. The COVID-19 pandemic made it hard for people to get basic healthcare like child vaccines and malaria treatment. Many people still pay out of pocket for healthcare, and the National Health Insurance system is underfunded. These problems make it harder to reduce deaths and reach the goal of universal health coverage.
To overcome these challenges, Malaria Consortium is working with government and partners to:
- Improve access to mosquito nets and other protection tools for at least 80% of people at risk
- Make sure treatment and prevention drugs reach 80% of target groups
- Improve data systems for better malaria tracking and planning
- Support long-term funding and teamwork between health sectors
Impact on Child Health
In Nigeria, malaria is still one of the top reasons why children under five years get sick or die. By giving seasonal malaria chemoprevention to millions of children and improving community health services, Malaria Consortium helps reduce malaria cases and deaths, making a big difference in child health and survival.
For example, in Bauchi State, the organisation achieved over 94% coverage of eligible children with SMC, ensuring most children received full preventive treatment.
How You Can Support
Malaria Consortium welcomes support from people, groups, and governments to keep doing its important work. Your donations help cover funding needs and keep malaria control efforts going. Together, we can protect families, save children’s lives, and help Nigeria move closer to ending malaria.
For more information, visit the official Malaria Consortium website: www.malariaconsortium.org
References
- Malaria Consortium Nigeria official website (2025) – www.malariaconsortium.org
- Nigeria Malaria Control Project Brief (2021)
What People Ask
What is the Malaria Consortium strategy?
Malaria Consortium works by combining prevention, treatment, and support for the health system. Their strategy includes:
- Distributing mosquito nets (LLINs)
- Giving children seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC)
- Training health workers
- Helping government improve malaria services
What are the core values of the Malaria Consortium?
- Using facts and research to plan work
- Partnering with government and communities
- Being open and honest
- Making sure health services reach everyone
How many states in Nigeria currently qualify for SMC implementation?
Right now, 13 northern states qualify for SMC. They include:
- Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Niger, Yobe, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, and Adamawa.
How effective is the Malaria Consortium?
Malaria Consortium is one of the top NGOs for malaria work in Nigeria. Their SMC programme reaches millions of children every year and helps reduce deaths and sickness, especially in children under five.
What is the strategy of a consortium?
A consortium is when different organisations work together for a shared goal. In malaria control, it means NGOs, donors, and government all join hands to deliver health programmes.
What is the malaria strategic plan in Nigeria?
Nigeria’s plan from 2021 to 2025 aims to:
- Reduce malaria deaths to less than 50 per 1,000 live births
- Ensure 80% of people at risk sleep under treated nets
- Provide good treatment and fast testing in all health centres
Malaria Consortium helps to meet this plan with its activities.
What are the strategies, objectives, and methods of malaria prevention and control?
- Strategies: Net distribution, SMC drugs for children, indoor spraying, health education
- Objectives: Fewer cases, fewer deaths, better health access
- Methods: Community health training, mobile data collection, strong partnerships
What is the malaria programme in Nigeria?
It is called the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP). It is run by the Federal Ministry of Health and:
- Plans how Nigeria fights malaria
- Supports each state with tools, training, and data
- Works with partners like Malaria Consortium to reach more people