Latest figures from the Ghana Health Services indicate that about 7,700 people get malaria each day in Ghana. Out of this number, 105 people die daily from the disease.
The statistics also indicate that pregnant women and children are the most vulnerable and most affected. It is also estimated that the annual economic burden of malaria in Africa is about 1.7 billion US dollars.
Briefing the press in Accra prior to the Africa Health Day celebrations on Friday, National Malaria Control Programme Manageress, Dr. Constance Marfo said the statistics have compelled the health service to concentrate more attention on promoting the use of the insecticide nets especially for pregnant women and children.
She said Malaria is still the leading killer disease in the country and as such there is the need to focus equal attention on dealing with it just as it is being done for HIV/AIDS.
The Ministry of Health in conjunction with its partners in the UN group in 1998 launched a concept dubbed Roll Back Malaria to effectively deal with the disease. Five years after its launch, Dr. Marfo says the concept has helped a lot in managing the disease in the country.
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