Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfPro8): Abstract 81 | Published: 11 Oct 2026
Ifeyinwa Francisca Martins1,2,&, Zainab Dambazua1,3, Gordon Igbodo1,3 , Peter Christopher Ejim2, Izzatu Yakubu Akwe2, Peter Attah Ombugadu2, Moses Job Tarfa1, Hashim Abdulmumin Bala1,4, Bisola Adebayo1,5
1Nigerian Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Program (NFELTP), ABUJA, Nigeria, 2Nasarawa State Ministry of Health, Lafia, Nigeria, 3Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, ABUJA, Nigeria, 4African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET), Abuja, Nigeria, 5Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria
&Corresponding author: Ifeyinwa Francisca Martins, Nigeria Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (NFELTP), Abuja, Nigeria, Email: ifyfmartins@gmail.com, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7157-9481
Received: 11 Mar 2026, Accepted: 30 Aug 2026, Published: 11 Oct 2026
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Keywords: Test positivity rate, DHIS2, surveillance, spatial distribution, Nasarawa State
©Ifeyinwa Francisca Martins et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Ifeyinwa Francisca Martins et al., Malaria burden and spatial heterogeneity in Nasarawa State, Nigeria: Analysis of routine surveillance data, 2019–2023. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfPro8):81. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO8-0081
Malaria remains a significant public health challenge in Nasarawa State, with 15% prevalence and an incidence of 274.1 per 1000 in 2021, contributing to morbidity and mortality. Despite ongoing control efforts, the disease burden has not declined uniformly across the state, leaving vulnerable populations at risk. Understanding temporal trends and the geographical distribution is essential for guiding targeted interventions. This study analyzed five-year malaria surveillance data to describe incidence patterns, testing rates, treatment coverage, and the distribution of malaria burden across local government areas (LGAs).
We conducted a retrospective descriptive study of aggregated malaria surveillance data reported through the District Health Information System (DHIS2) from 2019 to 2023 across all 13 LGAs in. We performed data quality checks for completeness and duplicates before cleaning. Annual malaria incidence per 1,000 population, testing rate among febrile patients, test positivity rate (TPR), and treatment rate were analyzed. We examined temporal trends and mapped geographical variations to identify LGAs with high burden.
Across the five-year period, 4,382,964 suspected cases and 3,095,195 confirmed malaria cases were recorded. This represented over half (53%) of all outpatient visits. Incidence varied yearly, dipping to 192 per 1,000 population in 2020 and increasing to 234 per 1,000 in 2022. Wamba, Karu, and Nasarawa Eggon LGAs repeatedly reported the highest incidence, with Wamba peaking at 577 per 1,000 in 2023. Testing rates remained high statewide (>97%), while TPR remained high, at an average of 71%. Treatment coverage for uncomplicated malaria consistently exceeded 90% annually.
Malaria transmission in Nasarawa State remains widespread and unevenly distributed, despite commendably high testing and treatment rates. Persistently high incidence in specific LGAs highlights the need for localised, data-driven interventions. Strengthening surveillance, sustaining high diagnostic coverage, and directing vector control efforts toward high-burden LGAs are essential to reducing malaria incidence and advancing elimination goals.
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