Accra: The Ministry of Health has urged the private sector to get involved in malaria elimination and invest in evidence-based interventions and innovative approaches to build on Ghana's success story in the fight against the disease.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Health Minister, Mr. Kwabena Minta Akandoh, made the call in a speech read on his behalf by Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), at the 2025 World Malaria Day commemoration in Accra. He emphasized the critical role the private sector can play in malaria elimination by incorporating its control into corporate social responsibility through workplace programs, research sponsorship, and community intervention co-financing.
Prof. Akoriyea highlighted the importance of reinvesting in malaria elimination as a means to prevent the disease, build human capital, unlock productivity, advance equity, and lay the groundwork for economic transformation. He also called for the integration of malaria elimination into the national development agenda, extending beyond the health sector to include city planning, environmental management, and children's education.
Prof. Akoriyea underscored the need to reignite public passion by empowering communities with knowledge and tools. He advocated for the engagement of traditional and religious leaders, youth groups, and civil society organizations to drive behavior change and demand accountability. He highlighted Ghana's National Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan (2023-2028), which has already shown positive results, with malaria-related deaths dropping by 51% compared to 2022, and a 36% reduction in the under-five malaria case fatality rate.
He noted a decline in admissions and outpatient visits as the rollout of the malaria vaccine expanded, with over 70% of children receiving the first dose. The government is prepared to escalate interventions, including indoor residual spraying, distribution of insecticide-treated nets, seasonal malaria chemoprevention, preventive treatment in pregnancy, and effective case management in 21 endemic districts. Plans are underway to further expand malaria vaccination coverage.
Dr. Sally Ann Ohene from the World Health Organisation (WHO) Country Office commended Ghana for its achievements in the malaria fight, describing the efforts as a collective commitment that has saved lives and protected futures. However, she cautioned that malaria remains a leading cause of outpatient attendance and under-five mortality in Ghana, with nearly 600,000 lives lost annually to malaria across Africa.
Dr. Ohene emphasized that ending malaria requires collective effort across all sectors and ministries. She cited the Yaound© Declaration as an example of unified commitment and urged local and international partners to increase domestic investments to bolster universal health coverage.
The National Malaria Champion, Oheneyere Gifty Anti, praised the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service for protecting Ghanaians' health. She stressed the importance of everyone's involvement in malaria elimination, linking it to national development and the prevention of unnecessary deaths from a preventable disease.
The World Malaria Day commemoration included awards for winners of the maiden National Malaria Quiz competition, held across 21 districts. The first prize winners were Holy Child RC Basic (Tema West Municipality), Nii Kojo Ababio Basic (Accra Metro), and Danoman '2' Basic (Ablekuma West), who received trophies, citations, tablets, laptops, stationery, branded school bags, and a projector.
World Malaria Day is observed annually to emphasize the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment to malaria prevention and control. The 2025 theme, 'Malaria Ends With Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite,' is a grassroots campaign aimed at re-energizing efforts from global policy to community action to accelerate progress towards elimination. Instituted by WHO Member States in 2007, the day also celebrates successes in the fight against malaria and encourages individual responsibility towards a malaria-free world.