Dr Kofi Boakye Yiadom Adomako, an Epidemiologist at the University of Ghana, School of Public Health, says about 185,000 children in Ghana received full malaria vaccine in 2022.
He said the children were from 42 districts in seven regions where the vaccine roll-out was implemented.
Out of that number, 2,835 children were also vaccinated with a targeted population of 7786 children in the Upper East Region.
That represented 36.4 per cent in the Kassena-Nankana West and the Kassena-Nankana Municipality of the Upper East Region.
Speaking in a zoom meeting with journalists of the National Malaria Media Coalition, Dr Adomako said some progress was made against malaria mortality in Ghana.
He indicated that the 2019 baseline data malaria deaths had reduced drastically by 50 percent, and other malaria related admissions for all ages increased from 393,804 in 2019 to 423,417 in 2022 while records of Out-Patient cases decreased from 193 per 1000 population in 2019 to 155 per 1000 population in 2022, which is a 20 percent reduction.
He said even though malaria mortality had drastically reduced, it was the wish of the National Malaria Control Programme not to record any malaria related death, “I think we have done very well but the aim is to make sure nobody in this country dies from malaria,” he said.
Dr Adomako said in spite of the significant improvement in testing for malaria cases from 94 per cent in 2012 to 98 per cent in 2022, which indicated about four percent increment, some health service providers still recorded high number of cases.
He, however, noted that not all the cases were really malaria, but because the National Health Insurance Authority paid based on the number of clients recorded, which needed to be investigated.
The Epidemiologist appealed for regular orientation and training of all prescribers, proper engagement of National Health Insurance Authority and Health Facility Regulatory Authority to help keep the standards and continue the behaviour change communication on test, treat and track for both prescribers and clients.
He said the NHIA paid more for severe malaria cases, and some health facilities diagnosed severe malaria even if the condition was enteric fever or gastric- enteritis.
“They might not be treating the people for malaria but they put it in their cost of admission so that the NHIA will pay them more, and this is something we need to look into.” Dr Adomako said.
According to him, the Seasonal Chemo Prevention as well as the distribution of insecticides treated bed nets were some of the successes of the National Malaria Elimination Program in Ghana.
Dr Adomako called for the need to create alternative innovations and mass education towards behavioural change to stop the misuse and possible regulations to end the abuse of the insecticides treated bed nets in the country.
Source:mywirdfmonline.com/Gaspard Ayuureneeya .