MALARIA NOW A RARE DISEASE IN LAGOS, SAYS HEALTH COMMISSIONER
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By: Sefiu Ajape
Malaria has become a rare disease in Lagos State, according to the Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi.
He also urged residents to question diagnoses and avoid unnecessary medication.
Abayomi made the remarks during an interview with Channels Television on Saturday, citing findings from extensive laboratory investigations conducted across the state.
He said, “Malaria is now a rare disease in Lagos. Out of every hundred fevers in Lagos, about three or four are caused by malaria.
“And we’ve repeated this with some of the top scientists and the most robust laboratory investigation. So malaria is a rare disease in Lagos right now.”
The commissioner advised Lagosians to insist on seeing test results before accepting any diagnosis.
“If they tell you that you have malaria, question it. Ask them to show you the results, the cartridge. It’s there. Your eyes can read it. It’s yes or no,” Abayomi said.
He also criticised the widespread “malaria-typhoid” diagnosis, describing it as a “double jeopardy” that often leads to unnecessary treatments—including anti-malarial drugs, antibiotics, and painkillers.
According to him, many people actually suffer from viral infections that resemble malaria and would be better served by rest and isolation rather than aggressive medication.
“Part of the problem is Lagosians want to be diagnosed with malaria. because they want an injection or they want IV fluid.
“But sometimes, all you have is a viral illness that mimics malaria, which is what is happening in Lagos. This so-called malaria-typhoid diagnosis is an unknown. It’s a double jeopardy diagnosis. It’s a sledgehammer,” he said.
Abayomi noted that Lagos is close to eliminating malaria and suggested that similar locally tailored health approaches could be adopted in neighbouring states such as Ogun and Oyo, where malaria remains more common.
According to Lagos health authorities, malaria prevalence has declined sharply in recent years, with current data showing that only about 1.3 per cent of fevers in the state are caused by malaria.
Officials have attributed the progress to integrated programmes that bring public and private health facilities together for improved testing, case management, and data reporting, including the use of digital surveillance tools.
Health authorities continue to warn against presumptive malaria treatment, stressing that misdiagnosis can lead to unnecessary medication and delay appropriate care for the actual illness.
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