WHEN MALARIA STRIKES, WE CAN'T HARVEST

 How malaria threatens farming cooperatives and collective income in rural Nigeria.

For 61-year-old farmer Ismaila in Nigeria, the impact of malaria on the cooperative of farmers he manages is obvious and serious.

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Ismaila coordinates a collective farming initiative where members pool resources, farm together, and share the returns.

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But in this highly irrigated area, malaria is relentless. “Mosquitoes are too many,” Ismaila explains.

“When some of our members are sick, they can’t go to the farm for days. If they can’t work, how can we produce something to sell?”

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Even just a few cases of malaria among his farmers can disrupt the productivity of the entire cooperative. Planting schedules are delayed, harvests are reduced, savings shrink, and reinvestment for future cycles is jeopardized. The economic ripple effects are real: households earn less, local trade slows, and food production suffers.

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In areas like rural Nigeria, where irrigated farm land creates ideal mosquito breeding conditions, outbreaks can strike entire communities at the same time. The result is not just individual suffering, there is a collective financial instability.

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Research shows that malaria’s economic toll across Sub-Saharan Africa is enormous. In worst-case scenarios, where malaria prevention collapses, GDP losses could reach $83 billion. But by keeping malaria under control, and getting back on track, could deliver a $231 billion boost.

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Investing in malaria prevention isn’t just a health priority, it is essential for economic growth. Without investment from world leaders, malaria – a preventable and treatable disease - will not just steal lives but crush economies.