Health experts have stressed the need for effective malaria testing before treatment, warning that many Nigerians still assume every fever is malaria, leading to wrong diagnosis and inappropriate medication.
They spoke on Tuesday during the 2026 edition of the PUNCH Webinar Series organised by the PUNCH Media Foundation to commemorate World Malaria Day.
The webinar was themed, “Malaria in Nigeria: A Shared Fight, A Collective Solution.”
Director, Centre for Transdisciplinary Research in Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, University of Lagos, Professor Wellington Oyibo, said proper testing remains critical to ensuring patients receive the right treatment.
According to him, symptoms such as fever, headache, bitter taste and diarrhoea are often wrongly assumed to be malaria, even though they may be caused by other infectious diseases.
“These symptoms could be caused by many infectious diseases. If we assume every headache, bitter taste or diarrhoea is malaria, we will be overdiagnosing, overtreating or undertreating malaria, while overlooking the real illness,” he said.
He explained that the World Health Organisation in 2010 recommended mandatory malaria testing before treatment to prevent overdiagnosis, overtreatment and missed diagnosis of other illnesses.
According to him, over 95 per cent of people who assume they have malaria may not need malaria treatment.
Oyibo advocated the “Test, Treat and Track” strategy, which involves confirming suspected cases through microscopy or rapid diagnostic tests, administering proper treatment and documenting surveillance cases.
He said testing can be done through microscopy in laboratories or rapid diagnostic tests available at service points.
“The rapid diagnostic tests are as good and even more consistent. But how the tests are conducted is critical. If not done properly, there will be errors in diagnosis and treatment,” he said.
Speaking on malaria management, a paediatrician and strategic adviser to the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Olugbenga Mokuolu, said malaria should not be regarded as an ordinary illness, describing it as a killer disease.
He said malaria presents in two forms — uncomplicated and severe — with severe cases capable of leading to death if untreated.
Mokuolu cited the 2025 World Malaria Report as showing that Nigeria recorded 68 million malaria cases and 199,000 deaths in 2024.
“In practical terms, that means about nine persons died every hour from malaria,” he said.
He, however, said malaria prevalence in Nigeria was declining, dropping from 22 per cent in 2021 to 15.2 per cent in 2025.
He added that Lagos recorded one of the lowest prevalence rates at 2.6 per cent, while Plateau had 2.8 per cent.
On treatment, Mokuolu said uncomplicated malaria should be treated with artemisinin-based combination therapy, noting that chloroquine is no longer recommended because of resistance.
“When it is severe, the person has to be hospitalised,” he said.
Immediate past President of the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners, Dr Kayode Adesola, warned against misconceptions that patients suffer from both “typhoid and malaria” without proper diagnosis.
He said poor health insurance coverage was pushing many Nigerians to self-medication, home treatment and herbal remedies, often leading to complications.
The expert also raised concerns over patients abandoning medication once symptoms subside and called for stronger regulation against fake and substandard antimalarial drugs.
The Chief Executive Officer of Serenity Healthcare Foundation, Hajiya Samira Farooq, said access and affordability remained major barriers in northern communities, where many residents rely on chemists instead of hospitals.
She cited a household survey in Kano identifying poor environmental sanitation, rapid population growth and inadequate public awareness as key drivers of malaria transmission.
Also speaking, PUNCH Healthwise Editor, Angela Onwuzoo, said the media has a critical role to play in the fight against malaria by serving as a bridge between scientific information, policymakers and the public.
She said sustained media coverage could help raise awareness, complement government policies and encourage behavioural change among citizens.
Onwuzoo added that the media must also hold governments and health institutions accountable through investigative and data-driven reporting on malaria interventions, funding and healthcare delivery.
Responding to a question on how to access malaria vaccines, Prof Mokuolu said Nigeria began rollout on December 4, initially targeting high-burden states such as Kebbi and Bayelsa.
He said the programme had since expanded to Bauchi and Ondo states.
According to him, the vaccine is for children under two years, with four doses administered from the fifth month of life.
He disclosed that coverage rates so far stood at 135 per cent in Kebbi, 69 per cent in Bayelsa, 39 per cent in Ondo and 37 per cent in Bauchi, which launched in March 2026.
Mokuolu added that nationwide expansion of the vaccine programme would depend on funding and other implementation factors.
The panelists also highlighted the role of the media in driving awareness, supporting policies and holding government accountable through investigative reporting.