The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has revealed that more than 24 million Nigerians tested positive for malaria between January and September 2025, reflecting a steady rise in infections across the country.
Figures contained in the 2025 National Health Statistics Report, obtained by DAILY GAZETTE, show consistent increases in both testing and confirmed cases over the three quarters.
According to the document, 10,517,416 people underwent malaria testing between January and March, with 7,301,279 found to be positive.
Testing rose further in the second quarter to 11,449,804 individuals, producing 7,841,483 confirmed cases.
The trend peaked between July and September when 12,878,508 Nigerians were tested and 9,324,470 were diagnosed with malaria.
Altogether, the nation recorded 24,467,232 cases within nine months.
Health analysts note that the surge aligns with Nigeria’s seasonal malaria pattern, particularly during the rainy months when mosquito breeding intensifies.
Experts warn that without stronger interventions, infection numbers could climb even higher before the end of the year.
Treatment numbers also followed an upward curve. In the first quarter, 7,144,538 patients received Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT).
This increased to 7,663,106 in the second quarter and 9,043,786 in the third, bringing the total number of treated persons to 23,851,430.
Speaking at the 2025 Joint Annual Review in Abuja, Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, said the National Malaria Eradication Programme has continued to strengthen malaria-control strategies but acknowledged that challenges remain.
Delays in seeking treatment and infrastructural gaps across the healthcare system still contribute significantly to the country’s heavy malaria burden.
The report calls for sustained public health action, improved access to treatment, and greater community involvement if Nigeria is to reduce malaria incidence in the coming years.
In related developments, world leaders have pledged $11.34 billion to support the Global Fund’s fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, a figure that falls below the organisation’s $18 billion target for the 2027–2029 cycle.
The announcement was made during the Global Fund’s Eighth Replenishment Summit in Johannesburg, held ahead of the G20 meeting.
Executive Director Peter Sands admitted that the shortfall presents challenges to global health financing.
“Money will be tight, so we must be smarter,” he said, stressing the need for countries to transition towards greater self-reliance while warning that abrupt funding cuts could jeopardize essential programmes.
The Fund plans to reduce operational costs by 20 percent in 2026.
The United States remains the largest contributor with a pledge of $4.6 billion, although some commitments from previous administrations are yet to be fully released.
Based in Geneva, the Global Fund cautioned that the funding gap could force reductions to existing grants through late 2026.
Since its creation in 2002, the organisation estimates that it has helped save around 70 million lives by supporting national efforts to combat infectious diseases through measures such as malaria nets, HIV treatment, and tuberculosis therapy.
Previous replenishment cycles have also struggled to meet targets — in 2022, the organisation raised $15.7 billion out of a projected $18 billion.
The summit highlighted the ongoing tension between dwindling global contributions and growing expectations for countries to scale up domestic healthcare investments.
