By Emmanuel, Nyatsikor, GNA
Adaklu Tsriefe (V/R), April 27, GNA – Mr Samuel Yao Atidzah, Executive Director of GOSANET Foundation Sunday stated that ending malaria was not only a health priority but a development imperative.
He said this is because the disease continued to affect productivity, education, and the overall well-being of communities, therefore undermining national growth and poverty reduction efforts.
Mr Atidzah said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in connection with this year’s world malaria day celebration at Adaklu Tsriefe.
It is on the theme: “Driven to end malaria: Now we can. Now we must.”
Mr Atidzah said communities needed to be placed at the heart of malaria elimination efforts and be powered with knowledge tools and resources to prevent the disease.
He stressed that malaria remained a major public health challenge, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa where the burden was the highest.
The Executive Director noted that recent data indicated that progress was fragile with rising case numbers and persistent mortality, especially among children under five years.
He noted that access to timely diagnosis and effective treatment should be ensured at all levels, especially in underserved and rural areas.
The Executive Director intimated that leadership and community participation were also essential for sustainable impact.
He called on stakeholders to intensify efforts towards malaria elimination.
Mr Atidzah urged the government to increase domestic investment in malaria control and elimination programmes, strengthen health systems, surveillance, and accountability mechanisms.
He called for equitable distribution of malaria prevention tools such as insecticide-treated nets.
Mr Atidzah appealed to Development Partners and Donors to sustain and scaled-up funding for malaria interventions, support innovation to address emerging challenges such as drugs and insecticide resistance.
He called on people to seek early treatment for fevers and maintain clean environments to eliminate mosquito breeding sites.
“As the country continued to strive towards malaria elimination, everybody has a role to play, ” he noted.
Mr Atidzah reaffirmed GOSANET Foundation’s commitment to community sensitization, advocacy, and partnership with stakeholders to ensure no life was lost to a preventable and treatable disease.
He noted that this year’s theme was a powerful reminder that whilst significant progress has been made in the fight against malaria, urgent and sustained action was needed to eliminate the disease once and for all.
GOSANET Foundation is a Ghana-based NGO committed to improving public health through community engagement, advocacy, and implementation of sustainable health interventions across the country.
GNA
Edited by Maxwell Awumah/Linda Asante Agyei