An Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) program has been launched in Nkrankwanta, Bono Region, targeting malaria in the Dormaa West and Banda districts. This initiative aims to enhance the health and well-being of residents in areas classified as high-burden for malaria.
The IRS project, funded by the government and implemented by Kill-pest Services, seeks to eliminate malaria-carrying mosquitoes by spraying the inner walls of homes with an effective residual insecticide. At the launch event last Tuesday, Dr. Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), emphasized the ongoing threat malaria poses to public health, especially among vulnerable populations.
Dr. Kuma-Aboagye urged stakeholders, particularly in the private sector, to invest in proven interventions like IRS to safeguard community health against Malaria. He highlighted that achieving a malaria-free Ghana requires strengthening interventions, improving service delivery, and fostering community engagement.
The initiative aligns with the National Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan (2024-2028), launched in January by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, which aims to protect the entire population from Malaria with at least one preventive intervention. Key priorities include expanding insecticide-treated nets, enhancing IRS coverage, promoting preventive chemotherapy, and strengthening surveillance.
Dr. Kuma-Aboagye expressed gratitude to the President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), AngloGold Ashanti, and the Innovative Vector Control Consortium (IVCC) for their contributions to the project. Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, Director of Public Health, noted a significant reduction in malaria deaths, from 2,799 in 2012 to just 146 in 2023, and a decline in malaria prevalence from 27.5% in 2011 to 8.6% in 2022, showcasing the effectiveness of these Malaria preventive measures.
SOURCE: https://dew360.net
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