Ghana is getting positive results in fight against malaria

Efforts at fighting malaria are yielding positive results as statistics shows that 428 people died out of the disease last year as against over 2000 people, who died every year out of the disease, based on 2015 figures.

The statistics presented by the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) at a training for journalists in Kumasi showed that admissions attributable to malaria reduced to 21 per cent last year compared to 28 per cent in 2015.

About 30 journalists drawn from the northern parts of the country attended the two-day training organised by the NMCP and the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) on the role of the media in promoting the malaria elimination agenda in the country.

The statistics also indicated that malaria prevalence in the country based on 2016 figures stood at 20 per cent as against about 70 per cent recorded in the year 2002.

While the statistics shows great achievements in malaria elimination agenda, funding from development partners for the control of the disease has been dwindling because of the country’s current status as a lower middle-income economy.

Stakeholders said this was not healthy for the fight against the disease calling for a national commitment to increase funding for malaria control activities to reduce its prevalence in the country.

Mr James Frimpong, Deputy Programme Manager of NMCP, who spoke during the training, urged journalists to champion a national conversation on the need to increase domestic funding for the malaria elimination agenda to ensure success.

Dr Charity Binka, Executive Secretary of AMMREN, urged journalists to rededicate themselves to the fight against malaria by using their platforms to educate the public on the prevention strategies to eliminate the disease.

Source: GNA