In a powerful health alert that’s stirring serious conversation, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, has revealed a groundbreaking statistic—95 out of every 100 fever cases in Lagos are not caused by malaria, contrary to widespread belief.
Speaking during a three-day workshop for the “Pathway to Pre-Elimination and Digitisation Project,” Prof. Abayomi emphasized the urgent need for a mindset shift among healthcare professionals and the general public. For too long, the default treatment for fever in Nigeria has been antimalarial drugs — often administered without any proper diagnosis.
“This approach is wasteful and dangerous,” he stated. “Rampant misuse of antimalarials and antibiotics is fueling a deadly wave of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), where common infections may soon become untreatable.”
He further highlighted that 60% of human infections originate from animals, showing how interconnected the problem is.
To combat this crisis, Lagos is now enforcing a “Test, Treat & Track” strategy. Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) will be mandatory for all fever cases before any malaria drugs are prescribed.
Prof. Abayomi also issued a stern warning to pharmacies: It is illegal to dispense antimalarials or antibiotics without a valid prescription. He called on the Pharmacy Council of Nigeria to tighten regulations or risk Lagos becoming the epicenter of AMR.
This is more than a wake-up call—it’s a call to action.
