FUTA Don Proffers Solution to Menace of Malaria, Other Parasitic Infections

Despite advances in medicine, malaria remains a major global health problem with devastating consequences, especially in tropical countries including Nigeria. A Professor of Applied Parasitology at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Professor Titus Olusi, stated this while delivering the university’s 196th inaugural lecture titled A Parasite-Free World: Achievable or Wishful Thinking? on April 14, 2026. 

Professor Olusi said malaria continues to threaten both rural and urban populations in endemic regions, warning that untreated infection can lead to severe anaemia, respiratory distress, cerebral complications in children, multi-organ failure in adults, and in some cases death. He also raised concern over low parasitaemia and packed cell volume among malaria-positive women, linking the trend to endemic transmission and maternal anaemia. 

The don cautioned against the belief that a completely parasite-free world is either achievable or desirable, explaining that parasites also play roles in ecological balance and carry socioeconomic implications. He said while harmful parasites can be selectively controlled or eliminated, total eradication is unrealistic and could even destabilise ecosystems. 

As a way forward, Professor Olusi recommended preventing malaria through the elimination of vectors, especially by addressing ecological conditions that encourage mosquito breeding near residential areas. He, however, warned against overreliance on synthetic chemical compounds for vector control because of their toxic residual effects and long-term accumulation in the food chain, urging continued research into environmentally friendly alternatives such as botanicals. 

He also stressed that parasitic diseases impose a heavy socioeconomic burden by reducing productivity, affecting education and deepening poverty, while diseases such as malaria, schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminths continue to generate huge healthcare and economic costs. Professor Olusi added that climate change, urbanisation and industrialisation are further intensifying transmission patterns, particularly among vulnerable populations. 

Chairing the event, FUTA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji, described the lecturer as an erudite scholar who has contributed immensely to research and academic development, noting that the lecture topic was timely in view of the need to protect human health, biodiversity and livelihoods.