Malaria deaths fall by 98% since 2011 – GHS
Ghana has cut malaria deaths by 98 percent over the past 14 years, health officials say, marking one of the country’s most significant public health gains and raising hopes that elimination is within reach.
Deaths fell from 3,259 in 2011 to 52 in 2025, according to the Ghana Health Service. The figures were announced at a durbar in Accra to mark World Malaria Day 2026, where officials said the decline reflects sustained investment in prevention, treatment and surveillance.
The Director General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, in remarks delivered on his behalf, said the country’s progress shows what is possible with consistent effort. He pointed to a sharp fall in child deaths, down 76 percent in the past three years, and said new vaccines are strengthening protection for young children. First dose coverage of the RTS,S and R21 vaccines has reached 78.3 percent.
Speaking at the event, the Director of Public Health, Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, said Ghana now has the tools and capacity to eliminate malaria. He warned, however, that progress could stall without urgency. Delays, he said, continue to cost lives and affect livelihoods.
He added that malaria control is not only a health issue but also central to national development. Plans to establish an End Malaria Council and the rollout of free primary health care were cited as steps to sustain progress and increase local ownership of the response.
At the regional level, the Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Robert Amesiya, called for stronger community action. He urged households to improve sanitation, asked traditional and faith leaders to promote prevention, and told health workers to follow strict testing and treatment guidelines. He said the region would step up surveillance and focus on protecting pregnant women and children under five.
The World Health Organization Country Representative, Dr Fiona Braka, said malaria elimination is now an achievable goal rather than a distant target. While Africa still carries the highest burden, she said countries like Ghana are showing leadership through the use of vaccines and improved mosquito nets.
She stressed the need for stronger national leadership, better use of data and a continued focus on primary health care.
The National Malaria Champion, Oheneyere Gifty Anti, called for a united national effort. She urged political leaders to prioritise malaria in budgets, asked businesses to see malaria control as key to productivity, and encouraged families to use treated nets and vaccinate their children.
The commemoration began with a health walk through parts of Accra and ended with a durbar at the University of Ghana, bringing together health workers, students, traditional leaders and development partners in a show of support for ending malaria in Ghana.