IKPONMWOSA Tessy

Malaria remains a monumental public health challenge in Nigeria, accounting for a disproportionate share of global cases and deaths. This study examines the critical impact of the World Health Organization (WHO) in driving malaria control and strategic eradication efforts within the country. Utilizing a qualitative, descriptive research design, this paper analyzes secondary data from official WHO global reports, federal health ministries, and empirical public health literature. The study finds that the WHO's interventions—specifically through technical guidance, resource mobilization, universal distribution of Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs), and the standardization of targeted diagnostic and treatment protocols (such as ACTs and Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention)—have heavily transformed Nigeria's medical landscape. These collaborative efforts contributed to a decline in national malaria prevalence from 42% in 2010 to 15% by 2025. Despite these substantial gains, the ideal of complete "eradication" faces aggressive headwind from structural constraints, including local healthcare infrastructure deficits, funding shortages, and rising insecticide and drug resistance. The study concludes that while the WHO has laid an invaluable blueprint for containment, achieving permanent elimination requires the Nigerian government to match global technical frameworks with intensive domestic financing, localized environmental engineering, and rigid political willpower.