Kintampo North Records Zero Under Five Malaria Deaths in 2020

Death caused by malaria in children less than five years in the Kintampo North Municipal has drastically reduced from 0.11 per cent in 2019 to 0.00 per cent in 2020.

Mr s Alice Afua Vorletor, the Acting Municipal Health director disclosed at the Annual Performance Review in Kintampo, she attributed the achievement to interventions by the Service.

“We are doing well as a Municipality and have made many positive gains. Some of the interventions in the system such as the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention, the Sulfadoxine-Pyrimethamine (IPT3-SP) coverage, and the use of bed nets among other measures have brought some changes’’, she said.

The Municipality also increased the Proportion of suspected malaria cases that were tested for malaria before treatment from 95% in 2019 to 96.4% 2020.

There was however, a low performance of Malaria incidence rate of 890 per 1000 from 165 per 1000 target for the year under review.

Coverage of IPTp (3+ doses) was also below the 54.7% for 2019 to 40.1 %

Overall Malaria mortality rate for the year under review was also zero (0.00%).

Mr. James Owusu, the Malaria Focal Person of the Municipality said the aim is to the positive achievements. “We are hoping that we will be able to maintain this achievement in 2021 and beyond, and ensure that we don’t lose any child to malaria,”

Nana Afia Owusuaa, Queen Mother of Pumpuatifi said if members of the public, especially children and pregnant women, who were the most vulnerable used the Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs), and all other preventive methods, the Municipality would be able to achieve more successes in fighting malaria.

He said the Bono East Regional Health Director Dr. Fred Adomako- Boateng noted that, the region was in the hot season where most families deserted their rooms and slept in their compounds, “They can hang the nets in the compounds of corridors and sleep under them to prevent mosquito bites.

“If you or your child is sick, you will not have the peace of mind to work. If your family is not healthy you will be destabilized. Once children contract malaria, it also causes other health complications. Constant exposure to severe malaria can affect a child’s brain development,” the Director said.