Malaria in Rural Nigeria: Implications for the Millennium Development Goals

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Abstract
The paper analyses the incidence of malaria in rural Nigeria and its implication for the country's efforts to meet the targets of various domestic and global development policy blueprints. In recent years, there has been remarkable increase in human and financial commitments to global malaria control, partly due to the need to meet specific and relevant development targets set in the millennium development goals (MDGs). However, these efforts have not translated into a significant decrease in the incidence of the disease and its impact in Nigeria. Using the cost of illness method to analyse the impact of malaria on various attempts at national development, the paper found that substantial resources and domestic output is lost annually to malaria attack in Oyo State. This has serious implications for the achievement of the principles of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategies (NEEDS) and the MDG target. It is implied from the results that effective control of malaria is capable of reducing household poverty, inequality, while improving various determinants of welfare and national development.