The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has said that not every case of fever should be treated as malaria.
He said only about 5 per cent of patients presenting with fever in Lagos tested positive for the disease.
Abayomi disclosed this in a post on X while reflecting on activities marking World Malaria Day 2026 at the Lagos State Ministry of Health.
According to him, Lagos State has made significant progress in reducing malaria prevalence through strategic interventions, data-driven policies, and improved surveillance systems aimed at achieving malaria elimination.
He said malaria prevalence in Lagos had dropped from about 15 per cent 15 years ago to less than two per cent today, despite the state’s coastal geography and proximity to neighbouring states with prevalence rates between 20 and 30 per cent.
The commissioner explained that the state government conducted one of the largest operational malaria studies in Nigeria, testing over 78,000 residents through a network of Patent and Proprietary Medicine Vendors and community pharmacies under the Pathway to Malaria Pre-Elimination and Digitisation Programme.
He noted that the findings confirmed a significant decline in the malaria burden in Lagos, adding that many residents who self-medicate for malaria may actually be suffering from other illnesses.
“This means that many people treating themselves for malaria were likely suffering from other illnesses requiring different forms of care. It also explains why many patients believe malaria medicines are “not working” when, in reality, the wrong condition is being treated,” he said.
Abayomi said the state had adopted a new malaria control strategy built on four pillars — Prevent, Test, Treat, and Track.
Under the strategy, the government plans to intensify vector control and environmental management, eliminate presumptive diagnosis through mandatory rapid diagnostic testing, ensure only confirmed cases receive antimalarial treatment, and strengthen surveillance systems to monitor trends and identify hotspots.
He added that clinicians across the state were also improving fever evaluation through detailed history-taking, physical examination, and appropriate investigations to support accurate diagnosis and treatment.
“We are winning this fight through science, data, innovation, and sustained investment. Let us stop the guesswork. Test before you treat,” Abayomi stated.
