Mosquitoes breed in the stagnant water bodies left behind by the start of the rains and floods.
Thousands of children under five in northern Ghana will get seasonal life-saving malaria treatment and insecticide-treated nets in schools from July 2 to Sunday, July 5, in an effort to avoid malaria infections during this season.
According to the Ghana Health Service, the prevalence of malaria decreased from 27.5% in 2011 to 8.6% in 2022, and the number of deaths from the disease decreased by over 98%, from over 3,200 in 2011 to just 52 last year.
The Upper East, Upper West, North East, and Oti Regions have already finished the first phase of the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention campaign, which is reportedly making substantial progress.
Children between the ages of three and fifty-nine months, who are most susceptible to severe malaria, are the focus of the initiative.
The Ghana Health Service’s Director-General, Prof. Akoriyea, stated that the program has been strengthened this year through digital registration, improved safety monitoring, and door-to-door delivery by trained community health volunteers during a July 1 media orientation in Accra.
‘‘We now look forward to the start of Cycle 1 in the Northern, Savannah and Bono East regions from 2 to 5 July 2026. We encourage all parents and caregivers of children aged 3 to 59 months to welcome our trained community health volunteers into their homes and ensure that every eligible child receives the full course of treatment.”
The medicines are free, safe and effective, and completing every monthly cycle provides the best protection against malaria during the peak transmission season, ’’ he stated.
He further emphasised that students in Classes Two and Six continue to get insecticide-treated nets from their schools, characterising the initiative as a dependable means of providing protection to entire households.
‘‘The ongoing school-based distribution of insecticide-treated nets is a deliberate and evidence-based strategy to protect school-age children and their households from malaria. Why distribute nets through schools? Because schools give us a structured, reliable and equitable way to reach children directly.”
In partnership with the Ghana Education Service, it ensures that every child, regardless of where they live, has the opportunity to sleep protected from malaria every single night. This approach increases ITN ownership in households, extending protection to the whole family under that roof. Every net in this programme has a traceable supply chain. Every net has passed quality assurance checks,’’ he reiterated.
In a statement delivered on his behalf, Prof. Ernest Kofi Davies, Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), also reaffirmed the organization’s dedication to the effort to safeguard children during the season.
The campaign’s next phase is aimed at about 1.5 million children.
Source: newsthemegh.com