Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has stated that malaria has now become uncommon in the state, urging residents to question diagnoses and avoid taking medication unnecessarily.
Abayomi, who spoke during an interview with Channels Television on Saturday, explained that recent findings from broad laboratory checks across Lagos indicate that only a small percentage of fever cases are actually caused by malaria.
He urged residents to insist on seeing test results before accepting any malaria diagnosis.
The commissioner also faulted the widespread “malaria-typhoid” diagnosis, calling it a “double jeopardy” that often leads to needless treatments involving anti-malarials, antibiotics, and painkillers. He stressed that many people are in fact dealing with viral infections that resemble malaria and simply require rest and isolation rather than heavy treatment.
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Abayomi further noted that although Lagos is nearing the elimination of malaria, neighbouring states such as Ogun and Oyo may need to adopt similar local strategies as the disease remains more common in those areas.
Health officials in Lagos say malaria rates have declined significantly in recent years, with current figures indicating that only about 1.3 per cent of fever cases in the state are due to malaria. The government credits this achievement to strengthened testing, better case management, and digital tools that enhance malaria surveillance across both public and private healthcare facilities.
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