WMD: Malaria major killer of pregnant women, children – Paediatrician

Sodiq OjuroungbeAs Nigeria today joins the global community to mark the 2025 World Malaria Day, a Consultant Paediatrician, Dr Ayodele Renner, has lamented that despite significant strides made in combating malaria over the years, the disease remains a leading cause of death among children under five and pregnant women in Nigeria.Speaking exclusively with PUNCH Healthwise in commemoration of the day, observed every April 25, Renner said although rapid diagnostic testing and mass campaigns such as indoor residual spraying and insecticide-treated mosquito nets have improved outcomes, malaria mortality remains unacceptably high.This year’s event is marked with the theme “Malaria ends with us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite”, aiming to re-energize efforts at all levels, from global policy to community action, to accelerate progress towards malaria elimination.

.The paediatrician blamed the persistent malaria burden on broader socioeconomic challenges, including poor housing, lack of urban planning, inadequate sanitation, and widespread poverty, all of which enable the proliferation of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.He noted, “Malaria is still a top-five killer of children under the age of five and of pregnant women here in Nigeria.



That is a staggering statistic in 2025.“We’ve made gains in mortality reduction through rapid on-site testing and campaigns like indoor spraying and mosquito net distribution, but the death toll remains alarming.”He said Nigeria’s fight against malaria must go beyond medical interventions and address the root causes that create a conducive environment for mosquitoes to breed.

“You can’t separate health from the general situation of the country.“If you have communities filled with stagnant water due to poor sanitation, mosquitoes will have breeding grounds. If gutters are clogged and housing is poorly constructed, then you’re inviting the malaria vector to come in and do damage,” he stressed.

He raised concerns over the lack of enforcement of urban planning laws, saying many residential buildings are erected without any consideration for proper ventilation, mosquito-proofing, or drainage systems.“Most houses in underserved areas are not designed to keep mosquitoes out. There’s no proper sealing, no mosquito-proof windows or doors.

You can’t fight malaria effectively when your environment is constantly enabling mosquito breeding,” Renner said.While recommending insecticide use within homes, the child health expert acknowledged that the cost of such preventive measures often puts them out of reach for many families.“Insecticide sprays are not cheap.

Mosquito coils are not only expensive for daily use but we also don’t know their long-term effects on the lungs, especially in children,” he noted.The physician said these realities make it all the more urgent for the government to ensure equitable access to the newly developed malaria vaccine, which has already been rolled out in some African countries.“I am not sure the vaccine has been deployed in Nigeria yet, but it has been tested and used in other parts of the continent.

It should be urgently included in our national immunisation programme,” he said.He argued that if Nigeria is serious about reducing malaria deaths, the country must first lift its people out of poverty and overhaul the way urban spaces are managed.He added, “We need to make sure that people have decent housing and that our sanitation is taken seriously.

There should be zero tolerance for stagnant water in our streets and communities.”Beyond infrastructural changes, Renner urged for behavioural change and community education, particularly among parents and caregivers of young children.He further said, “We still have myths and misconceptions circulating about malaria.

“For instance, some parents don’t allow their children to sleep under nets because the houses are too hot. But children under five must sleep under insecticide-treated nets to survive.”The physician also raised concerns over the common practice of self-medication, saying it fuels drug resistance and delays life-saving treatments.

“Parents often assume every fever is malaria and rush to give antimalarials. That is dangerous. If a child actually has meningitis and is being treated for malaria at home for five days, by the time they come to the hospital, complications have already set in,” he warned.

He urged caregivers to seek proper diagnosis before administering any antimalarial drugs.“If your child has a fever, go to a health centre and get tested first. Don’t assume it’s malaria.

Don’t start antimalarials without confirmation. That’s how we end up losing children to diseases that could have been treated early,” he said.He reiterated that tackling malaria in Nigeria requires an integrated approach that combines public health education, vaccine access, poverty reduction, and improved urban planning.

“We need to see malaria for what it is, and not just a health issue, but a developmental one. Until we fix the environment, improve housing, and educate our people, we will keep burying children who shouldn’t have died,” he stated.Copyright PUNCH All rights reserved.

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