Malaria drops to 2% in Lagos as state unveils final elimination strategy

“If you say you have fever, it’s not likely going to be malaria in over 90 per cent of the cases,” said researcher Wellington Oyibo.

Lagos State is poised to become the first West African territory to eliminate malaria, according to Health Commissioner Akin Abayomi.

Speaking at the launch of the “Pathway to Pre-Elimination and Digitisation Project,” Abayomi credited a 20-year campaign that slashed malaria cases among fever patients from 20% to just 1–2%.

“Our test, treat, and track strategy is working,” he said. “Where malaria was once assumed, we now prioritise accurate diagnosis.”

The new initiative replaces microscopy with Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs), deemed faster, cheaper, and more reliable.

Abayomi stressed that vector control relies on sanitation, not fumigation: “Eliminating stagnant water and clearing drains are key.”

Medical parasitologist and study coordinator, Wellington Oyibo, affirmed Lagos’s progress: “If you have fever in Lagos today, there’s a 90% chance it’s not malaria.”

The project aims to shift fever management practices across Africa and could make Lagos a global model for malaria elimination.

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