Planned Parenthood of Nigeria (PPFN) is dedicated to improving the health of mothers, pregnant women, and children under the age of five in Nigeria. Malaria as one of the largest health burden in Nigeria, PPFN has being able to reach the general public through private owned hospitals/clinics, proprietary Patent Medicine vendors (PPMVs) to fight against malaria by prevention and treatment.

Malaria has the highest burden of disease in Nigeria – with an estimated 300,000 children dying of malaria each year. It accounts for over 25% of infant mortality (children under aged one), 30% of childhood mortality (children under five), and 11% of maternal mortality. At least 50% of the population has at least one episode of malaria annually, while children aged less than 5 years have 2 to 4 attacks annually (NDHS 2008). Malaria is particularly severe among pregnant women and children under 5 years of age, due to their relatively lower levels of immunity.

PPFN malaria programming includes both prevention and treatment activities. Malaria prevention is a top priority – it is estimated that prevention alone could save Nigeria billions of Naira in treatment expenses as well as an illness-related loss of productivity.

Ways at which PPFN tackle Malaria

• Prevention: These programmes focus on the promotion and use of mosquito bed nets, called Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLINS), along with education for families and health care providers on the importance of using bed nets to prevent mosquito bites, the mode of transmission for malaria. LLINs are factory-treated mosquito nets that are safe, easy to use, and come in a variety of sizes and colours to address individual needs. Some LLINs are effective for up to 4 years and will last a minimum of 20 washes – they require no re-treatment during this time, making them 5-10 times more effective than conventional re-treatable mosquito nets. LLINs are an inexpensive and easy way of preventing malaria and thus reduce its burden on the health and economic well-being of Nigerians. These LLINs are available for everyone, but particularly women and children.

• Treatment: Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy(ACT) PPFN as an organization is also an implementing partner under the Global Fund Malaria New Funding Model (GFNFM). In the area of reducing malaria burden from the general population. When prevention fails, treatment of malaria is critical.  Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy (ACT) as the drug of choice for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. will be heavily subsidised to increase affordability for the poor and vulnerable who shoulder the largest burden of malaria in our society. These medicines will be distributed through private health care providers including Proprietary Patent Medicine Vendors (PPMVs) (local drug shopkeepers) and community-based pharmacies.

• Intermittent Preventive Treatment(IPT) in Pregnancy Malaria infection during pregnancy is a major public health problem, with substantial risks for the mother, her fetus and the neonate. Intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in pregnancy is a full therapeutic course of antimalarial medicine given to pregnant women at routine antenatal care visits, regardless of whether the recipient is infected with malaria. IPT reduces maternal malaria episodes, maternal and fetal anaemia, placental parasitaemia, low birth weight, and neonatal mortality.