The National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) and the Global Fund have commenced an integrated malaria and tuberculosis (TB) laboratory training programme in Ogun State to improve diagnostic accuracy, strengthen disease surveillance and enhance patient care.
The capacity-building initiative, implemented through the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare with support from the Global Fund and other partners, was inaugurated on Thursday at Mokland Hotel, Ibara, Abeokuta.
The programme is supporting the training of 464 laboratory personnel across nine states, with the aim of improving their ability to identify malaria parasites, conduct laboratory investigations and support tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
Speaking at the opening, Professor Wellington Oyibo, a consultant medical parasitologist at the University of Lagos, described the initiative as the first integrated malaria and TB microscopy training programme of its scale in Nigeria.
He said the training would equip laboratory personnel with practical skills in slide preparation, microscopy, parasite identification, quality assurance, documentation and reporting.
Oyibo explained that while microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests were important in malaria diagnosis, tuberculosis microscopy remained useful for monitoring patients after initial diagnosis through molecular testing.
He said participating states were expected to train at least 40 laboratory personnel, depending on their capacity and the time available for the exercise.
The programme is also designed to develop a pool of skilled laboratory professionals who can transfer their knowledge to colleagues and strengthen diagnostic services in their respective facilities.
Oyibo stressed that accurate identification of malaria parasite species was essential for appropriate treatment, noting that different species could produce varying clinical complications.
He cited Plasmodium malariae as an example, explaining that the parasite had been associated with kidney complications, including nephrotic syndrome.
He also warned against assuming that every patient presenting with fever had malaria, saying laboratory investigations were necessary to establish the actual cause of illness.
According to him, Nigeria’s malaria prevalence declined from 42 per cent in 2010 to 15 per cent in 2025, while Ogun State recorded a reduction from 26 per cent to about seven per cent.
He cautioned, however, that the progress should not lead to complacency, as malaria remained a significant public health concern.
The Ogun State Malaria Elimination Programme Manager, Mrs Olamide Adeyinka, identified inadequate testing and patients’ refusal to accept negative malaria results as challenges affecting diagnosis and treatment.
She said some patients pressured healthcare workers to prescribe antimalarial drugs even when laboratory results did not confirm infection, potentially leading to inappropriate treatment and unreliable disease statistics.
Adeyinka disclosed that participants were drawn from all 20 local government areas of Ogun State, representing primary, secondary and tertiary health facilities, as well as private and faith-based institutions.
Also speaking, the Assistant Director of Medical Laboratory Services in Ogun State, Dr Simon Ijiezie, called on the state government to provide adequate laboratory equipment, particularly quality microscopes, to enable trained personnel to apply their skills effectively.
He warned that inaccurate diagnosis could expose patients without malaria to unnecessary medication and additional healthcare costs.
The Assistant Director of Medical Laboratory Services at the Ogun State Primary Health Care Board, Atinsola Ayodeji Olalekan, said strengthening diagnostic services at primary healthcare facilities would reduce pressure on secondary and tertiary hospitals.
On tuberculosis, the State TB Quality Assurance Officer, Ogundimu Olusola, representing the state TB Programme Manager, Dr Jimoh Babatunde, said the growing use of molecular diagnostic technologies had reduced interest in microscopy among some laboratory personnel.
He maintained that microscopy remained relevant in disease management and treatment monitoring, stressing the need to preserve technical expertise in the field.
The training also incorporates laboratory quality management practices aligned with international standards, including ISO 15189, which sets requirements for the quality and competence of medical laboratories.
Participants said the practical sessions had improved their confidence in identifying malaria parasites and distinguishing them from other blood components.
The organisers expect the programme to strengthen laboratory services across participating states, improve the reliability of test results and support more appropriate treatment decisions.
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