By Eunice Hilda A. Mensah
Accra, Jan. 16, GNA – President Nana Akufo-Addo has launched the National Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan to reduce malaria mortality by 90 per cent and malaria case incidence by 50 per cent by 2028.
The plan is also to eliminate malaria in 21 districts nationwide with very low malaria burden by 2028.
The President who launched the Plan, in a speech read on his behalf by the Presidential Health Advisor, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, in Accra on Tuesday, said the fight against malaria had started in earnest, looking into the future and required a national urgency and everyone’s collective action.
“As we strive further to reduce cases, and eventually record zero morbidity and mortality across the country, it is time for all state institutions to identify and own their respective roles in achieving a malaria-free Ghana,” he said.
Speaking on the theme: “Zero Malaria Starts Now – Launching Ghana’s Path to Elimination, President Akufo-Addo said it was a clarion call on what the country had already begun to champion, galvanizing all the needed support and resources for a malaria-free nation despite the nation’s numerous challenges.
The Plan, which was built on inclusiveness, sustainability, empowerment, and resilience, clearly defined the strategies necessary to accelerate progress from malaria control to elimination, he said.
Private sector involvement, the President said, was imperative to governmental support in launching the path to elimination.
President Akufo-Addo noted that private industry investment was critical to realising the malaria elimination goal and to help build stronger health systems.
He called for innovative mechanisms to mobilise resources domestically and internationally to augment existing resource streams, including donor contributions, to close the national funding gap.
“Without adequate resources, it will be difficult, if not impossible to deliver on the goal and objectives of this strategic plan…I, therefore, appeal to all, particularly domestic partners, to invest in these vector control interventions in the high burden districts. I will lead the advocacy towards the resources for the remaining districts,” he said.
Dr Patrick Kuma Aboagye, the Director-General, Ghana Health Service, said malaria testing rate had improved considerably from 38 per cent in 2012 to 97.8 per cent in 2022, malaria prevalence from 27.5 per cent in 2011 to 8.6 per cent in 2022, adding that deaths due to malaria had also reduced markedly from 2,799 in 2012 to 151 in 2022.
“This consistent reduction in morbidity and mortality assures us all about the effectiveness of our interventions and the hope of elimination with improved and sustained efforts,” he said.
Elimination of malaria, he said, required high political will and commitment, maintaining malaria high on the political agenda, country ownership as well as sustained efforts of national and inter-departments/agencies at all levels in planning, implementation and reporting.
To drive the agenda, Dr Aboagye disclosed that the Government planned to constitute two committees – the Independent National Malaria Elimination Oversight Committee (NMEOC) and the National Malaria Elimination Technical Coordination Committee (NMETCC).
The NMEOC would oversee and provide strategic direction for the elimination of malaria in Ghana through a coordinated and comprehensive national approach, and the NMETCC would provide advisory and technical support to the NMEOC and aid in adapting the WHO guidelines and policies for the country towards the elimination agenda.
Dr Sharmila Lareef, Multi-Country Assignment Officer for Ghana, Liberia, Gambia and Sierra Leone, WHO, said malaria had been a major cause of morbidity and mortality, contributing to 85 per cent of deaths in Africa.
Essentials for elimination of malaria, she said included optimisation of case detection and management, developing a strengthened system, and attaining a quality assurance and surveillance system.
It was also prudent to establish anti-malaria supply systems including vaccines, test kits and insecticide treated bed nets, she added.
Dr Lareef proposed that Ghana developed a high level of political commitment to eliminate malaria and ensure that there was a substantial investment in the health system to achieve the goal.
Dr Kezia L. Malm, the Programme Manager, National Malaria Elimination Programme, said Ghana was a malaria endemic country and one of the eleven countries highly hit by malaria, adding that the entire 30.8 million population was at risk of malaria.
She said the nation had a parasite prevalence of 8.6 per cent and 0.4 per cent of in-patient deaths.
Economically, she said malaria served the highest disease expenditure on the National Health Insurance Scheme and reduced Gross Domestic Product by 0.2 to six per cent.
GNA