The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Malaria Elimination Program (NMEP), has reinforced the ban on the use of monotherapy for malaria treatment. During a media session in Abuja, Wudi Natasha Tanko, a program officer at NMEP, emphasized the prohibition of single-drug treatments such as artesunate, artemether injection, chloroquine, and sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine (SP) for uncomplicated malaria.
Tanko explained that these drugs are ineffective for complete malaria treatment, citing low efficacy rates for chloroquine (39%) and SP (56%). Additionally, artesunate and artemether have short half-lives and fail to stay in the body long enough to eliminate all malaria parasites. She warned that monotherapy could lead to incomplete treatment, increased disease severity, and the development of drug-resistant malaria strains.
“Using monotherapies for uncomplicated malaria is an abuse,” Tanko stated, emphasizing the need to adopt Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs) as the standard treatment. ACTs pair an artemisinin derivative with another antimalarial drug to effectively cure malaria.
Tanko also stressed the importance of laboratory-confirmed diagnoses rather than relying solely on clinical symptoms. “Prompt diagnosis and treatment with recommended antimalarials is essential to reducing the malaria burden,” she added.
Despite Nigeria accounting for 27% of global malaria cases and 31% of malaria-related deaths, there has been progress in combating the disease. The National Malaria Indicator Survey shows a reduction in malaria prevalence from 42% in 2010 to 22% in 2021. However, the continued misuse of monotherapies remains a concern for health officials.
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