Story by: Paul Mensah Nsor
Accra, Ghana - The African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) has called for renewed national commitment and stronger partnerships to eliminate malaria in Ghana, as the world marks World Malaria Day 2026.
In a press statement issued Friday, April 25, AMMREN said malaria remains one of Ghana’s leading public health challenges, affecting millions annually and placing the heaviest burden on children under five, pregnant women, low-income households, and communities with limited access to health services.
“Beyond its toll on health, malaria also affects school attendance, worker productivity, household incomes, and national development,” the statement read.
“Now We Can, Now We Must”
This year’s World Malaria Day is marked under the theme _“Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can, Now We Must.”_ AMMREN described the theme as a timely call for Ghana to intensify efforts and translate commitments into measurable results.
“The tools, knowledge, and proven interventions needed to eliminate malaria already exist. What is needed now is stronger urgency, sustained leadership, strategic coordination, domestic resource mobilization, increased investment, and meaningful social and behavioral change,” said Dr. Charity Binka, Executive Secretary of AMMREN.
She stressed that lifesaving tools must be accepted, adopted, and consistently used by every household and community in line with Ghana’s Malaria Elimination Agenda.
AMMREN highlighted Ghana’s Free Primary Health Care initiative as a strategic opportunity to accelerate progress toward elimination. If effectively implemented, the policy could expand equitable access to malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services, particularly in underserved, rural, and hard-to-reach communities.
The network noted that the initiative could reduce delays in care-seeking, lower malaria-related illness and deaths, reduce out-of-pocket costs for families, and move Ghana closer to its elimination targets.
To sustain progress, AMMREN outlined five priority areas for action:
Domestic Investment: Ghana must strengthen domestic investment in malaria control and elimination while ensuring continuous availability of insecticide-treated nets, rapid diagnostic tests, and quality-assured antimalarial medicines across all levels of care.
Community Health Workers*: Community health workers must be trained, equipped, and supported to provide timely prevention, testing, referral, and treatment services, especially in remote areas.
Real-Time Data: Real-time data systems are essential to track cases, identify hotspots, respond quickly to outbreaks, and guide decision-making.
Community Engagement: Communities must be engaged through sustained education and behavior change campaigns that encourage consistent use of mosquito nets, environmental sanitation, elimination of mosquito breeding sites, prompt testing before treating, early care-seeking, and full adherence to prescribed treatment.
Media and Research Role: Journalists, researchers, and advocates should raise awareness, fight misinformation, promote healthy behaviors, highlight progress gaps, and keep malaria elimination high on the national agenda.
“Elimination is Achievable”
AMMREN emphasized that malaria elimination is achievable if government, development partners, civil society, the media, researchers, health professionals, and communities work together with a shared sense of urgency.
“Malaria is preventable, treatable, and eliminable. Now we can. Now we must. Together, we can achieve Ghana’s Malaria Elimination Agenda and end malaria for good,” Dr. Binka said.
