Celebrating World Malaria Day In Ghana With U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative

Yilo Krobo, GhanaㅡToday is World Malaria Day with the theme “Zero malaria starts with me”. The United States, through the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) is joining forces with the National Malaria Control Program and other malaria partners to celebrate the encouraging results achieved in the last 10years. From 2011 to 2016, malaria prevalence in children under five decreased nationally by 8% and from 2014, malaria deaths nationwide have decreased by 73%. However, as we celebrate this life savings impact, we must step up the efforts to fight the disease to ensure that we reach the noble and ambitious objective of “Zero malaria deaths”.

PMI has partnered with Ghana to fight malaria since 2008, funding core malaria interventions and providing valuable technical and operational assistance to reinforce and amplify Ghana’s efforts to end this deadly, yet entirely preventable disease. In FY 2018, PMI invested $28 million in Ghana and has provided over $277 million in support to Ghana since it began.

“We know fighting malaria is a smart investment to protect health, create opportunity, and foster growth and security in Ghana and worldwide. And we know fighting malaria together makes us more effective and achieves greater impact than any of us could alone.” said Ms. Janean Davis, USAID Ghana Health Team Lead.

With the health ministry and national malaria program in the leadㅡand in close collaboration with local communities, donors, multilateral organizations, faith groups, the private sector, research and academic institutions, and many othersㅡPMI has supported significant improvements in the coverage and impact of proven, cost-effective malaria interventions in Ghana.

“PMI shows what is possible when we work together, empowering countries to lead the way to zero malaria,” said U.S. Global Malaria Coordinator Dr. Kenneth Staley. “Looking forward, we are excited to expand coverage of lifesaving interventions, introduce innovations, and revolutionize our data environment to secure our shared vision for a world without malaria.”

About President’s Malaria Initiative

The U.S. President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) supports 24 partner countries in sub-Saharan Africa and 3 programs in the Greater Mekong Sub region in Southeast Asia to control and eliminate malaria. Led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented together with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), PMI delivers cost-effective, lifesaving malaria interventions—such as insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying, and essential medicines—alongside catalytic technical and operational assistance that equips and empowers partner countries to end malaria.

Member of the Somanya community were offered malaria testing services during the celebration of the 2019 World Malaria Day - Credit: Dominic Dery, USAID/Ghana