The Ministry of Health is to ban the importation and local manufacturing of unapproved malaria drugs in the country, Dr. George Sipa Yankey, the sector Minister announced on Saturday.
He said the ban was among measures to enable Ghana to eliminate malaria ahead of the 2010 target of reducing to zero malaria cases and deaths.
The Minister made this known at the commemoration of this year’s World Malaria in Accra.
The ministry, Ghana Health Service, development partners and other stakeholders in the health sector joined the global community to commemorate the Day under the theme: “Counting Malaria Out”.
Dr Yankey reiterated his passion to help eliminate the pandemic, since the effects of malaria on lives and the economy were enormous.
In 2007, he said, malaria deprived the economy of 730 million dollars, adding that three million cases were recorded in health facilities across the country.
The minister expressed his commitment to mobilise more resources to fight the pandemic, and pledged to support a malaria vaccine trial in the country.
Dr Yankey thanked the development parents for their support and appealed to them to help subsidise prices of malaria drugs and to also help the local pharmaceutical industry to produce quality but cheaper drugs.
He also hinted that the ministry would hold discussions to find out the possibility of conducting indoor residual spraying exercise in senior high schools.
Dr Constance Bart-Plange, Programmes Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme, expressed concern on misdiagnosis of malaria cases in the country, saying that taking every feverish symptom as malaria was unacceptable.
She said there was therefore the need for health workers to thoroughly confirm malaria through microscopy or rapid tests to confirm a patient’s status, before treatment.
“Some patients have lost their lives out of misdiagnosis because they were treated for malaria whereas they have other diseases”.
Touching on the use of herbs to treat malaria, Dr Bart-Plange said Artesunate was made out of herbs and therefore malaria was not treated without herbs.
She advised Ghanaians to stick to the preventive measures of malaria and recommended home based spraying for all households to help curb the disease.
The Programmes Manager urged carpenters in the country to manufacture beds that were insecticide treated nets friendly.
Source: GNA
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
Latest Stories
-
Ukraine’s Grain Initiative raises over $200m, provides lifeline amid global food crisis
26 mins -
Dancehall queen Spice donates to students of 3 basic schools in Accra through MYO Global Foundation
34 mins -
Kamal-Deen Abdulai urges Nanton to help NPP break the 8
54 mins -
TVET is not a dumping ground for underperforming students – C/R Minister
56 mins -
BoG Governor calls for increased preparedness to respond to emerging financial sector challenges
1 hour -
IGP calls on public to aid Police in ensuring peace during 2024 election
2 hours -
Miner jailed, fined for stealing motorbike worth GH¢13,500
2 hours -
Dozens killed in Pakistan sectarian violence
2 hours -
Police place GH₵20K bounty on group over election violence threats
2 hours -
From classrooms to conservation: 280 students embrace sustainability at Joy FM/Safari Valley’s Second Eco Tour
4 hours -
Jordan Ayew’s late goal not enough as Leicester lose at home to Chelsea
4 hours -
Global Crimea Conference 2024: Participants reject Russian claims to Soviet legacy
4 hours -
Jospong Group, Uasin Gishu County sign MoU to boost sanitation services in Kenya
4 hours -
Thomas Partey stunner helps Arsenal overcome Nottingham Forest
4 hours -
Over half of cyber attacks in Ghana, rest of Africa target government and finance, says Positive Technologies
4 hours