Making a Difference

Nigeria has the highest burden of malaria globally. It is transmitted throughout the country, with 97 percent of the population at risk. The disease accounts for 60 percent of outpatient visits and 30 percent of hospitalizations. Malaria is also a leading cause of illness and mortality in children under five. Through the U.S President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), along with its local partners, works to decrease the number of malaria-related deaths in pregnant women and children by increasing availability, access and use of insecticide-treated bed nets to prevent malaria infection. Additionally, USAID works to ensure all Nigerians test for malaria before treatment and have access to safe, affordable and reliable malaria treatment medications.
Between 2010 and 2015, malaria interventions through PMI and other malaria stakeholders resulted in a 36 percent reduction in malaria parasites found in the blood of children under age five, per the 2015 Malaria Indicator Survey. Since 2014, PMI/Nigeria has distributed 22 million mosquito bed nets, 14 million malaria rapid diagnostic test kits, over 48 million treatment courses for malaria, and eight million doses of medication to prevent malaria in pregnancy. In April, an additional 2.2 million bed nets will be distributed in Kogi state.
With an estimated 62 million malaria cases in Nigeria annually, the disease places a heavy burden both on individual families and national healthcare systems. It adversely affects worker productivity, drains household incomes, hinders educational development, and perpetuates poverty. Because most malaria transmission occurs in rural areas, the greatest burden of the disease usually falls on families who cannot afford proper health care. This is exacerbated by the prevalence of stolen or counterfeit drugs circulating in Nigeria.
To help lessen this burden, USAID and partner organizations promote access to affordable, quality medicines and ensure people have a mechanism to report counterfeit drugs. Since 2011, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has subsidized Artemisinin- based combination treatment (ACT), the first-line medication to treat malaria. The result is increased availability, affordability and usage of ACTs in Nigeria. Subsidized ACTs are easily identified by the green leaf logo on the packaging, which ensure quality and affordability.
Not only is affordability of malaria treatment a concern, but the world health community continues to warn that the abundance of fake malaria medicines threatens the progress being made to control the malaria. Stolen malaria medicines are often transported or stored in sub-optimal conditions leading to decay, putting those who take them at risk. Not only are there a number of health risks but the production and importation of counterfeit medicines takes money away from legitimate businesses and discourages growth in Nigeria’s pharmaceutical industry.
U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, W. Stuart Symington, said, “Despite so many gains in malaria prevention and treatment, the widespread prevalence of counterfeit, substandard medicines is contributing to the alarmingly high number of malaria deaths and costs of health care in Nigeria.”
To combat these harmful fake and substandard drugs, the United States government, through the Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), relaunched the “Make a Difference” (MAD) hotline and reward program in October 2016. The program offers rewards for verified information concerning the illegal distribution of stolen and falsified anti-malaria medication in Nigeria.
The hotline has a local telephone number, operates 24 hours a day and has English-speaking operators. Any person with knowledge of theft of counterfeiting of anti-malaria drugs is urged to call the hotline or email madmalariahotline@usaid.gov. Information is treated in confidence and people who file reports are protected to the fullest extent of the law.


