Why Do We Still Have Malaria? Everyday Practices Undermining Ghana’s Fight Against the Disease

Imagine waking up to mosquitoes buzzing around your bedroom, walking past a blocked gutter filled with dirty water, or noticing an uncovered container collecting rainwater near your home. These may seem like ordinary sights in some Ghanaian communities, but they can contribute to the spread of malaria.

Ghana has invested in mosquito nets, testing, medicines and public education. These efforts have contributed to progress in malaria prevention and treatment. Yet, malaria remains a major public health challenge, continuing to affect individuals, families and communities across the country.

If we know how malaria spreads and how to prevent it, why are so many people still getting infected?

The answer goes beyond mosquitoes. Poor sanitation, inconsistent use of mosquito nets, self-medication and limited community participation continue to undermine malaria control.

Poor sanitation creates opportunities for mosquitoes

Blocked gutters, discarded plastic containers, old tyres and improperly disposed waste can collect rainwater around homes, markets and public spaces. Some mosquito species that transmit malaria breed in suitable water collections, increasing the risk of mosquito bites when these sites are left unmanaged.

Although not every stagnant-water site produces malaria-carrying mosquitoes, keeping our surroundings clean and managing water collections are important prevention measures.

Environmental cleanliness is therefore not just about appearance; it is a public health responsibility.

Having a mosquito net is not enough
Ghana has distributed insecticide-treated mosquito nets through health facilities, schools and other campaigns. However, owning a net does not guarantee protection. It must be used consistently and correctly.

Some people use their nets occasionally, leave them folded or avoid sleeping under them because of the heat. This reduces the benefits of an important prevention measure.

Insecticide-treated nets provide a barrier against mosquito bites and contain insecticides that help kill or repel mosquitoes. Everyone should make sleeping under one a regular habit, particularly children and pregnant women, who are more vulnerable to severe malaria.

Self-medication can make the problem worse

Some people who develop a fever immediately assume it is malaria and buy antimalarial medicines without taking a test. Others use leftover medicines, take incorrect doses or stop treatment when they begin to feel better.

These practices can result in inappropriate treatment and delay the diagnosis of other illnesses. Not every fever is malaria.

The recommended approach is to seek medical attention and undergo a malaria test, usually through a rapid diagnostic test or laboratory examination. If malaria is confirmed, patients should take the prescribed medication correctly and complete the recommended treatment.

Responsible health-seeking behaviour helps individuals receive appropriate care and supports malaria control efforts.

Malaria prevention is everyone's responsibility

Malaria prevention is sometimes seen as the responsibility of government and health workers alone. However, their efforts cannot succeed without active community participation.

It is difficult to maintain a clean environment when residents dump rubbish into gutters or allow water to collect around their homes.

Community leaders, landlords, tenants, traders, school authorities, religious organisations and youth groups all have roles to play. Regular clean-up exercises, proper waste disposal and public education can make a difference.

Local authorities must also improve waste collection, maintain drainage systems and enforce sanitation regulations.

What can we do differently?
The fight against malaria requires simple actions practised consistently:

• Keep gutters and drains clear, and dispose of rubbish properly.
• Empty or cover water-storage containers around the home.
• Sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets every night.
• Seek testing when fever develops instead of self-medicating.
• Take prescribed antimalarial medicines correctly and complete treatment.
• Participate in community clean-up exercises.
• Encourage pregnant women and caregivers of young children to use available malaria prevention services.

Government must also strengthen public education, improve sanitation infrastructure, ensure access to mosquito nets and testing, and support effective mosquito-control interventions.

The fight against malaria starts with us

Ghana's fight against malaria cannot be won through medicines and mosquito nets alone. It also requires changes in the everyday practices that allow mosquitoes to thrive.

We cannot demand a malaria-free Ghana while dumping rubbish into gutters, leaving water to collect around our homes, failing to use mosquito nets or treating every fever without proper testing.

Every household and community has a responsibility. The choices we make in our homes, streets, schools and workplaces can either support or undermine the country's malaria prevention and elimination efforts.

Malaria is transmitted by mosquitoes, but preventing it requires collective action. A malaria-free Ghana begins with cleaner surroundings, consistent prevention, responsible health-seeking behaviour and stronger community participation.

The fight against malaria is not somebody else's responsibility. It starts with all of us.

By Samuel Afoakwah Afranie, BMS, MPH
Biomedical Scientist & Public Health Professional