The Borno State government, in partnership with Malaria Consortium, has announced a targeted Almajiri children and frontline troops to curb malaria spread, morbidity and mortality rates.
This was disclosed by the Director of Public Health in the Borno State Ministry of Health, Dr. Goni Imam Ali, during a media parley organized by the Malaria Consortium in Maiduguri.
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The briefing was held ahead of a massive distribution campaign of five (5) million Insecticide-Treated Net (ITN) across the seventeen local government areas of the state.
Dr. Ali explained that the intervention aims to protect vulnerable populations by directly distributing the insecticide-treated nets and rolling out other anti-malaria drives.
Addressing the demographic of Almajiri children—who often live in communal Islamic boarding schools—Dr. Ali noted that a census has already been conducted by the Tsangaya Board to ensure they are captured in the distribution framework.
Speaking at the event, Dr. John Dada, the Head of Communication for the Malaria Consortium, observed that due to itinerant lifestyle of Almajiris children, reaching them has historically posed a significant challenge
“Unlike the IDPs that are confined in camps, Almajiris roam about, they sleep in different locations, so they are difficult to access, but we are working with the state government to ensure that everyone gets the net,” Dada said.
Also, the Borno State government has placed a high priority on military personnel operating in dense jungles and remote communities.
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Dr. Ali emphasized that troops on the frontline face an exceptionally high risk of contracting mosquito-borne diseases, which poses a severe threat to both individual health and overall mission readiness.
“It’s nearly impossible for the soldiers to control the vector in the dense jungles and communities, that is why they become our first consideration not only on the treated mosquito nets, but cholera vaccines and other disease controls,” Ali stated,
He also warned that the deadliest enemy on the battlefield may not be the one holding a weapon, but the one buzzing in the dark.
Dr. Dada revealed that Nigeria currently accounts for 27 percent of the total malaria cases worldwide, while the Consortium plans to distribute 39.9 million ITNs across the country this year.
Of that total, 5 million free nets have been allocated to Borno State, targeted for disbursement across all 27 local government areas.
Dada explained that the campaign will utilize a door-to-door, single-phase household-level delivery model rather than relying on centralized collection points.
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Additionally, the program is actively engaging the media, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and local health workers to drive community mobilization and provide feedback from beneficiaries.
Malaria remains one of Nigeria’s most persistent public health crises, a burden heavily compounded in Northeast states like Borno by years of conflict and insurgency, where displaced persons, pregnant women, and children continue to bear the brunt of the disease.
