By Mildred
Siabi-Mensah, GNA
Takoradi, Aug. 6, GNA – The Public Health
Department of the Ghana Health Service would from August 8 to 14, this year,
distribute 1.2 million treated mosquito nets to 3.8 million persons across the
length and breadth of the Western Region.
In all, 91,600 households, who have been
issued with identification card for collection of the treated net, would have
access to this vital object of controlling malaria among communities, in order
to reduce the health burden and create healthier and prosperous societies.
Mr Daniel Aggudey, the regional Focal Person
on Malaria, during a media brief on the mass distribution exercise, said 90 per
cent of households registered would receive the net.
He however advised against the use of the net
for fishing, fencing and other purposes that sought to negate the gains and
strides being made by the Ghana Health Service and the Development partners in
reducing or eliminating malaria.
He noted that malaria continued to be one of
the most severe public health problem in many countries, including Ghana, and
about 3.2 billion people live in areas at risk of malaria transmission.
Globally, 91 countries reported a total of 216
million cases of malaria, an increase of 5 million on 2015 figures as stated in
the WHO WM Report, 2017.
The Focal Person said Africa continues to
account for about 90 per cent of all malaria cases and deaths worldwide with
Plasmodium falciparum as the most prevalent malaria parasite in sub-Saharan
Africa and accounts for 99 per cent of estimated malaria cases in 2016, as
stated in the WHO WM Report 2017.
In Ghana, malaria accounted for 22.7 per cent
of all admissions in 2017, as against 24.8 in 2016 (DHIMS2).
Also, 3.9 per cent of all suspected malaria
cases were pregnant women in 2017 (DHIMS2) and amounted to 2.1 per cent of all
deaths with case fatality rate at 0.20 among children under 5 years.
Malaria is transmitted between humans and mosquitoes
when an infected mosquito bites a human or when an infected human is bitten by
a mosquito; however mosquitoes cannot infect humans immediately after
contracting the parasite, which has a complex life cycle.
Mr. Aggudey said malaria, be it the
complicated or severe, affected both the health and wealth of individuals and
nations alike and is sometimes believed to be the cause of poverty since it has
measurable direct and indirect costs, impeding economic development.
He pointed that the strategic goal of the
service was to protect at least 80 per cent of the population with effective
malaria prevention interventions by 2020 and provide parasitological diagnosis
to all suspected malaria cases with effective treatment to 100 per cent of confirmed
malaria cases by 2020.
Mr Aggudey said since 2003, efforts to promote
ownership and use of Long Lasting Insecticide treated Nets (LLINs) had been
made and several approaches tried.
The Point Mass Distribution (PMD) was a
revised campaign strategy by the GHS and partners to get LLINs to households
using the universal coverage principle of one net for two persons in a
household.
GNA