The Ondo government says it spends at least N12 billion on preventing and treating malaria in the state annually.

Waheed Folayan, the malaria programme manager in the state Ministry of Health, disclosed this at a programme on Tuesday in Akure, the state capital.

Mr Folayan, who spoke at the inauguration of the steering committee for World Bank Immunisation Plus and Malaria Progress Of Accelerating Coverage and Transforming Services, noted that it was estimated that Nigerians spend 25 per cent of their annual income treating malaria.

He said about 1.5 million residents of Ondo spend at least N8000 annually to prevent and control the deadly disease, noting that the huge amount greatly impacts the state’s economy.

“In Ondo State, for example, it is estimated that every household spent an out-of-pocket of at least N8,000 on preventive materials and treatment with anti-malarial across about 1.5 million households estimated at a cost of about N12 billion out of the economy of Ondo State annually,” he said.

“In addition, malaria has been noted to be a cause of poverty. Today, an estimated 100 million Nigerians live on less than $1.9 per day,” Mr Folayan added.

Banji Ajaka, the state’s Commissioner for Health, said the government was not relenting in fighting malaria.

Mr Ajaka revealed that part of the strategy to tackle malaria among the residents, particularly children, was the inauguration of the steering committee, also known as the IMPACT project.

He noted that the IMPACT project would strengthen the state’s health sector and reduce the under-five mortality rate by 40 per cent in the first phase.

The permanent secretary of the Ministry of Health, Folukemi Aladenola, said the committee had got N80 million for a malaria project with the World Bank to support the reduction of malaria prevalence in the state.

The World Bank, in a report published on its website, said half of the world’s population (3.2 billion) remains at risk of malaria, and transmission is ongoing in 97 countries.

It said the burden is heaviest in sub-Saharan Africa, where an estimated 90 per cent of all malaria deaths occur. It noted that children under five years of age account for 78 per cent of deaths.