ABUJA, Nigeria — Chairman of Nigeria’s National Malaria Elimination Council, Aliko Dangote, has called on governments and the private sector to urgently scale up coordinated efforts to eliminate malaria, warning that the fight against the disease has reached a critical stage.
Dangote, who also serves as a United Nations Malaria Ambassador, made the call to mark World Malaria Day 2026, noting that while progress has been made, it remains uneven across regions.
Okay News reports that sub-Saharan Africa accounts for more than 90 percent of the global malaria burden, with the disease continuing to affect children under five, pregnant women, displaced populations, and underserved communities.
“Progress against malaria is real, but it remains deeply unequal,” Dangote said. “Too many people still lack access to life-saving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. This gap is unacceptable when the tools to end malaria already exist.”
He said recent advances in vaccines, diagnostics, and data-driven surveillance systems have made malaria elimination more achievable, but stressed that implementation at scale remains the key challenge.
Dangote noted that malaria continues to place pressure on health systems and economies across Africa, even as scientific progress and stronger partnerships create new opportunities to accelerate response efforts.
“Aligned and well-coordinated private sector action can deliver measurable impact and significantly reinforce national malaria control programmes,” he said.
He added that the private sector has a critical role to play through workplace and community-based initiatives focused on prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment, citing the involvement of Dangote Industries Limited in supporting malaria programmes.
Dangote warned that emerging threats such as drug resistance and insecticide resistance could undermine progress if not addressed through sustained investment in research and innovation.
“The path to a malaria-free world is clear. We have the tools. We have the knowledge,” he said. “What we need now is urgency, sustained investment, and collective accountability.”
He urged governments to sustain policy momentum and funding, called on businesses to expand proven interventions, and encouraged development partners to continue supporting high-burden regions.
“Together—driven by purpose and united in action—we can end malaria,” Dangote said. “Now we can. Now we must.”
