By GAMBO ARABART, Lafia

Worried by the heavy toll exacted by malaria, which claims hundreds of thousands of lives annually in Africa, Senator Ned Nwoko has called for a locally produced malaria vaccine and a structured national approach to the eradication of the disease.

Speaking Tuesday at the Malaria Vaccine Workshop organised by the Prince Ned Nwoko Foundation in Abuja, Nwoko stressed the need for Nigeria to develop its own vaccine production capabilities rather than relying on foreign solutions.

The workshop, themed ?Building & Strengthening Sustainable Malaria Vaccine Manufacturing Ecosystem in Nigeria,? brought together experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to discuss strategies for sustainable vaccine production.

A press statement by Senator Nwoko?s media consultant, Michael Ogah, explained that the workshop was part of his principal?s long-standing commitment to malaria eradication.

According to the statement, ?Senator Nwoko has personally invested over $20 million in malaria research and pharmaceutical manufacturing across Africa.?

The Senator, who expressed concern that individual efforts alone cannot achieve the goal of eliminating the disease, called for government action, private sector investment, and global partnerships.

According to the statement, ?To institutionalize the fight against malaria, Senator Nwoko has introduced the Malaria Eradication Agency Bill (SB.172) in the Senate. The proposed agency will coordinate malaria research, vaccine production, and large-scale eradication programmes in Nigeria.

?To strengthen the strategic move for the actualization of the proposed bill, a public hearing on the bill is expected by June, and the senator has urged all stakeholders including government agencies, health organizations, and research institutions to support the passage of the bill.

?He noted that, ?malaria is not an unsolvable problem, if this were a Western disease, the global response would have been swift. The COVID-19 pandemic proved that when there is urgency, vaccines can be developed and deployed within months. We must take responsibility for solving our own health crises?.

?Senator Nwoko emphasised that malaria remained one of Africa?s deadliest diseases, particularly affecting children and pregnant women. Health experts believe that establishing a local vaccine production system will be a game-changer in Nigeria?s fight against the disease.

?As the Malaria Eradication Agency Bill moves forward in the Senate, all eyes are now on lawmakers and decision-makers to take concrete steps toward ending malaria in Nigeria,? the statement added.