By Albert Futukpor
Kumbungu, June 14, GNA – The United States (U.S) Government, through the U.S President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), is providing $6 million (GHc87 million) for spraying households against malaria, carrying mosquitoes in northern Ghana, known as indoor residual spraying (IRS).
This year’s spraying campaign covered over 440,000 households across 10 districts in the Northern and North East Regions and expected to protect more than one million residents, including pregnant women and children under five years of age, who are particularly vulnerable to malaria attacks.
This was in a statement issued by the U.S Embassy in Accra and copied to the press.
The statement quoted Dr David Walton, U.S Global Malaria Coordinator, who observed and participated in the spraying campaign at Kumbungu in the Northern Region, as saying “This marks the 17th year in a row that the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative has supported Ghana’s Indoor Residual Spraying campaign.”
It said, “Beyond spraying, we are also collaborating with the government to ensure that Ghanaians have access to bed nets, preventive treatment for pregnant women and children, malaria testing and treatment services across the country, and trained health workers to manage malaria,” Dr Walton added.
The statement said, “Since 2008, the U.S has contributed over $460 million (GHc6.6 billion) to Ghana’s malaria response. This support has reduced the infection rates of malaria. For example, malaria prevalence in children under five years of age dropped from 27.5 per cent in 2011 to 8.6% in 2022.”
In January 2024, Ghana launched her National Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan.
The statement said, “USAID and PMI fully support Ghana’s plan to achieve near zero malaria deaths by 2030.”
The U.S is Ghana’s largest development partner.
In 2023, USAID provided over $90 million to Ghana’s health sector for malaria, maternal, newborn, and child health, HIV, global health security, and more.
PMI is led by USAID and implemented together with the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
GNA