Beyond Drugs in Eliminating Malaria Scourge in Nigeria; Scaling-up Vector Control Strategies

Abstract

Integrated vector control management strategy plays a pivotal role and occupies a vantage position today in World Health Organizations (WHO) road map to malaria elimination and Nigeria has the highest malaria burden in Sub-Saharan Africa. So much attention and huge financial and economic resources have been invested in chemotherapy for malaria prevention and control. The article identified feasible non- drug measures in malaria prevention and control, and suggested a paradigm beyond drug use in combating the scourge. Electronic search of relevant materials in official search engines was used in this study. Key words like mosquito, vector, malaria, prevention, control, and Nigeria were used individually and in combination for search of relevant articles. Search was carried out using Embase, Medline and Google scholar to download published articles using the keywords individually and in combinations. Articles were sorted based on defined inclusion criteria. Official sites were used to extract vital information relevant to the subject. Malaria causes over 300 000 deaths annually in Nigeria. Under five mortality due to malaria was 168 per 1000 live births. She losses N132 billion ($900 million USD) to malaria related cost annually. Huge resources channeled towards chemotherapy and chemoprophylaxis coupled with high cost of therapy has complicated the prevention and control efforts. Evidence abounds of countries that attained elimination status and complete eradication through non-drug measures. A gap exists in over the years in malaria prevention and control programmes and policies through suboptimal use of non-drug measures. Huge efforts and resources have been invested in drug measures of the control mechanism. Integrated vector control mechanism suggests being the way forward beyond chemotherapy and chemoprophylaxis.