A report by the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Malaria (GCNM) has revealed that the Western Region was the malaria-endemic region for the year 2019 with the highest prevalence rate of 27 per cent and the Greater Accra Region being the lowest with the prevalence rate of two (2) per cent.
Mr Jonathan Teyeh Tetteh-Kwao, Greater Accra Regional President of the Coalition who made the disclosure at a media engagement in Takoradi ahead of the commemoration of World Malaria Day (WMD) 2022 also said the Ellembele District has the highest malaria prevalence in the Western Region.
The District recorded the highest malaria incidence of 532.8 per cent whiles the Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality recorded 105.9 per cent as the lowest malaria cases in the region.
According to him, the report was captured in the Ghana Malaria Survey implemented by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) and the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) of the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
Mr Tetteh-Kwao lamented that massive breeding of mosquitoes in the Ellembele District which contributed to the development was as a result of stagnant water bodies in the leftover pits of the mining companies in the area.
Commenting on the new malaria vaccine, he announced that though Ghana, Kenya and Malawi had piloted the vaccine to fight malaria, however, the Ministry of Health (MoH) was yet to invest in accelerating the research and get it ready for the country to use in fighting malaria.
He indicated that this year’s World Malaria Day which would be celebrated on the theme, “Advance Equity, Building Resilience, End Malaria” will raise awareness on the urgent need for action and targeted scale-up of existing and new tools such as new LLINs and the RTSS, and Vaccine.
He added that it will also raise awareness on data-led strategies and increased investment in the research and development of transformative tools in the pipeline
Mr Tetteh-Kwao said the Coalition believes that those approaches would help the country drive down the alarming malaria cases and deaths.
Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Malaria (GCNM) is a coordinated body for action against malaria prevention and control in Ghanaian communities. It has over 250 member organizations comprising Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) and Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs).
Members operate in various communities throughout the country realizing the devastating effect of malaria, particularly on children under five years, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups.
