The Malaria Consortium has revealed over 40,678 malaria cases in Kogi State among children under five years.
This alarming figure came during the 2025 Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention media parley held in Lokoja on Tuesday.
According to State Programme Manager, Okwulu Andrew, 683 of the cases in Kogi State became severely complicated.
He confirmed that twelve children unfortunately died due to complications arising from severe malaria infections across the state.
Okwulu stated the meeting aimed to educate journalists on intensifying awareness campaigns across Kogi’s local government areas.
He emphasized children aged 3 to 59 months are the most vulnerable to malaria cases in Kogi State.
The Malaria Consortium, a nonprofit founded in 2003, partners with governments to eliminate malaria across Africa and Asia.
Programme Manager of Kogi State Malaria Elimination Programme, Rabiu Muhammed, stressed media collaboration is vital for program success.
He identified major challenges like security threats and flooding, which restrict access to hard-to-reach malaria-prone communities.
ACSM Specialist Orimodu Matthew listed key obstacles including funding shortages, poor logistics, and community resistance to interventions.
He also mentioned the limited training of health workers and persistent drug stock-outs as serious implementation setbacks.
Matthew called for increased funding and greater exploration of public-private partnerships to fight malaria cases in Kogi State.
He recommended adopting real-time technology to improve monitoring and supply chain systems for malaria medication and resources.
Community awareness campaigns, he added, must involve traditional leaders to boost trust and programme acceptance in rural communities.
Matthew stressed media stakeholders must amplify the message and rally public support for malaria elimination campaigns across Kogi.
The Malaria Consortium reaffirmed its commitment to reducing the number of cases in Kogi State through prevention, education, and treatment strategies.
