Nigeria accounts for 27% of the global malaria burden and 32% of malaria deaths globally1. Despite improvements in Nigeria’s malaria performance observed from the NDHS 2021, systemic gaps in Nigeria’s malaria response hinder the attainment of national malaria elimination targets.
WHO, partners and the NMEP have developed a stratified intervention mix to guide targeted efforts toward malaria elimination. The analysis covers all states in Nigeria, down to the local government levels. However, a challenge arises because the states lack control over resources and decision-making, which hampers the effective utilization of the intervention mix to guide state-level malaria plans. As a result, data is underutilized in decision-making processes, leading to infrequent course corrections in the fight against malaria.
As part of broader investments by the Foundation to support the implementation of sub-nationally tailored malaria interventions, starting with Kano and Kaduna states, SCIDaR will be developing and implementing a robust performance measurement framework that rigorously tracks SNT milestones and outcomes and utilizes data to foster evidence-based decision-making among critical stakeholders, while enshrining accountability in the program. This work seeks to provide crucial insights for implementing, enhancing, and expanding effective strategies in sub-national malaria programming within Nigeria.
Our primary objective is to assess the effectiveness of malaria program interventions and operating approaches at both state and sub-state levels in our focus states. We aim to evaluate the achievement of malaria outcomes and identify underlying factors contributing to performance. Additionally, we will identify Sub-Nationally Tailored (SNT) interventions and approaches that demonstrate scalability and can be adapted for implementation in other states. Finally, we will validate and utilize the Sub-Nationally Tailored – Theory of Change (SNT-ToC) as a comprehensive blueprint to enhance the malaria program in the targeted states.
