Malaria deaths and our public health

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• ACCRA IS DIRTIER THAN++++ 12 years ago

  Accra is the dirtiest capital village in the world. Infact, Accra only uses mosquito repellents and fumigans(mosquito coils, spray, cream etc.) more than all the cities in the world combined.

  Accra is the dirtiest capital village in the world. Infact, Accra only uses mosquito repellents and fumigans(mosquito coils, spray, cream etc.) more than all the cities in the world combined.

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• Ben 12 years ago

  Dr. Amuna these stupid politicians will not listen to your brilliant ideas and advice. They more interested in their selfish deals. It's a shame! I suggest we sensible ones should try and run for public office to become MPs ...
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  Dr. Amuna these stupid politicians will not listen to your brilliant ideas and advice. They more interested in their selfish deals. It's a shame! I suggest we sensible ones should try and run for public office to become MPs and Ministers because:
  
  IF WE FAIL TO BE PART OF THE DECISION MAKING THEN FOOLS WILL FOREVER MAKE DECISIONS FOR US.
  
  We shouldn't standby any longer!!!!

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• Paul Amuna 12 years ago

  You are probably right. If the politicians will not take our advice, we should get 'more involved' in a more direct way by being in the 'frontline'. Worth serious consideration.

  You are probably right. If the politicians will not take our advice, we should get 'more involved' in a more direct way by being in the 'frontline'. Worth serious consideration.

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• R.M:-A 12 years ago

  Environmental and Clinical aspects of malaria go hand-in-hand. The 2nd problem is human-understanding, mistaken use of treatment of Malaria 1. Prophylactic, preventing, and cure. Some Ghanaians us "0ne-Touch" as prvention and ...
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  Environmental and Clinical aspects of malaria go hand-in-hand. The 2nd problem is human-understanding, mistaken use of treatment of Malaria 1. Prophylactic, preventing, and cure. Some Ghanaians us "0ne-Touch" as prvention and cure.

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• Paul Amuna 12 years ago

  I agree with you, UNDERSTANDING of the problem is part of the solution and HEALTH EDUCATION at all levels and reinforced will go a long way including helping our communities to take their own actions to reduce the mosquito p ...
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  I agree with you, UNDERSTANDING of the problem is part of the solution and HEALTH EDUCATION at all levels and reinforced will go a long way including helping our communities to take their own actions to reduce the mosquito population and malaria burden.

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• yb 12 years ago

  I once asked one of the Directors of the Ghana Health Service why Ghana doesn't earmark malaria for eradication as is done for Guinea worm and polio, but the response was that, since malaria accounted for about 50% of all OPD ...
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  I once asked one of the Directors of the Ghana Health Service why Ghana doesn't earmark malaria for eradication as is done for Guinea worm and polio, but the response was that, since malaria accounted for about 50% of all OPD cases, it means that many people in the health sector will lose their jobs as there will not be many patients to attend to.
  
  I would be grateful if you can come out with an article that looks at this and see if it is possible for malaria to be eradicated.

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• Paul Amuna 12 years ago

  The answer given you by this "director of health services" is very daft indeed!!! If indeed malaria accounts for 50% of oPd cases, can you imagine how much the pharaceutical companies are making on a daily basis? Furthermore ...
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  The answer given you by this "director of health services" is very daft indeed!!! If indeed malaria accounts for 50% of oPd cases, can you imagine how much the pharaceutical companies are making on a daily basis? Furthermore simply think how many man-hours are lost to economic productivity not to talk of reduced livelihoods as mothers especially will have to spend needless sleepless nights in our emergency departments and hospital wards just taking care of infants and children with malaria.
  
  The world Health Organisation abandoned the "eradication" idea way back in the 1960s because somehow there was this belief that it was not possible becauce of the "porous" nature of our borders e.g. in West Africa and the movement of human populations but the simple truth is that there was no POLITICAL WILL and the pharmaceutical companies (not health workers) stood to lose a lot of the billions they continue to make.
  
  But the evidence since has shown a number of countries which have successfully reduced malaria levels to manageable numbers almost tantamount to "eradication".
  
  Any how, I will be happy to explore this subject dwelling on good scientific evidence at a future date.

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• Okonko Palm 12 years ago

  There have been reports of late of a vaccine which act as immune to malaria parasites.I believe with the massive publicity this discovery is receiving, there must be something to it.If that is so, wont that be a cheaper way o ...
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  There have been reports of late of a vaccine which act as immune to malaria parasites.I believe with the massive publicity this discovery is receiving, there must be something to it.If that is so, wont that be a cheaper way of malaria control and therefore its prevention.
  
  The publicity given to this discovery suggests its potential.I think it is still being reviewed by other scientists but if what they say about this vaccine is correct( even at this early stage,) then I think Dr Amuna and co must investigate it and possibly recommend it to our government.After all prevention is better than cure.

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• Paul Amuna 12 years ago

  Incidentally I have been following the malaria vaccine story and though interesting, it is early days yet, plus we need to think in other ways as well.
  
  There has also been research in Arizona to 'engineer' a breed of steri ...
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  Incidentally I have been following the malaria vaccine story and though interesting, it is early days yet, plus we need to think in other ways as well.
  
  There has also been research in Arizona to 'engineer' a breed of sterile mosquitoes incapable of carrying the malaria parasite but following the initial publicity, these trends have gone cold.
  
  Here's the simple logic: Mosquitoes breed in common places we know and can do something about. The average lifespan of the female anopheles is about 2 weeks (14 days) and within that time, they need to mature and breed, then pass on the parasite at the same time. The female mosquito needs mammalian blood for food and its reproduction and in the process of sucking human blood, it also picks up the parasite which completes its own development cycle inthe mosquito (perhaps in a symbiotic association).
  
  If we generate mosquitoes which are sterile, how long will they live? and how will they influence mosquito populations over the medium to long term? Funny.
  
  The trouble with academic research is that it can be very exciting, but does not always translate into sensible, practical solutions. Malaria research to me has failed in that sense over the decades.
  
  But we need to consider all options, the most important of which to me is REDUCING MOSQUITO BREEDING OPPORTUNITIES AND POPULATION. is that within our reach and capability? I would think yes, but are we willing to commit to that ourselves? It appears the answer to the latter is an unfortunate NO. Therein lies our problem.

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• Kwesi Mends, Takoradi 12 years ago

  Why wait for vaccine when we can cover our gutters. Why wait for vaccine we can clean neighbourhoods. EVENTUALLY MOSQUITOES WILL BUILD RESISTANCE TO THE VACCINE. PREVENTION IS THE ONLY SOLUTION!!!!!!! YES WE CAN DO IT!!!

  Why wait for vaccine when we can cover our gutters. Why wait for vaccine we can clean neighbourhoods. EVENTUALLY MOSQUITOES WILL BUILD RESISTANCE TO THE VACCINE. PREVENTION IS THE ONLY SOLUTION!!!!!!! YES WE CAN DO IT!!!

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• Kumah 12 years ago

  Great piece but I am unable to send a detailed rebuttal on this article. I disgree with your foremost statement "Malaria is first and foremost an ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM before it becomes a clinical (cases) problem requiring tr ...
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  Great piece but I am unable to send a detailed rebuttal on this article. I disgree with your foremost statement "Malaria is first and foremost an ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM before it becomes a clinical (cases) problem requiring treatment (or preventive treatment if you like)."
  Malaria is first and foremost a human problem! (using your language. You CANNOT wipe out the mosquitoes in Ghana. Mosquitoes are still breeding in the UK, Canada, USA, Europe name it wherever malaria has been eliminated.

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• Paul Amuna 12 years ago

  YOU ARE RIGHT IT IS A "HUMAN PROBLEM".
  I chose to emphasise the "environment" because humans live in, work in and to a large extent control their environment.
  
  Consider for instance the problem of sewage and drainage in t ...
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  YOU ARE RIGHT IT IS A "HUMAN PROBLEM".
  I chose to emphasise the "environment" because humans live in, work in and to a large extent control their environment.
  
  Consider for instance the problem of sewage and drainage in the city of Accra and attitudes towards our gutters, drains and the 'stuffing' of rubbish in these places to choke them and create breeding grounds for mosquitoes because the water is stagnant.
  
  That is where I am coming from, but you are right, we may not eliminate all mosquitoes, but if others elsewhere have eliminated malaria, why not us? Have you noticed that in UK, Canad, USA and Europe that you mentioned, they have no open drains and take water and sanitation issues seriously? Investment in underground drainage in UK was towards the end of the 1800 and early 1900s.
  
  The Capitol and Washington Memorial areas in DC used to be a march area just over the Potoman river and death from malaria and thyphoid / thyphus was very common (including one of Abraham Lincoln's sons). But with the political will they did something about these problems. We haven't, and that is part of where the human element comes in.

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• paa kwesi 12 years ago

  from another angle: how much does the moh/ghs spends a year on workshops/seminars/conferences/meetings etc on malaria: how much goes into per diems, hiring of conference facilities etc what is needed is the commitment, and wi ...
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  from another angle: how much does the moh/ghs spends a year on workshops/seminars/conferences/meetings etc on malaria: how much goes into per diems, hiring of conference facilities etc what is needed is the commitment, and will to tackle the malaria menace head on: the knowledge is well known. the malaria funds should be well utilized.

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• Media Mogul 12 years ago

  This is a very good article dealing with an urgent national problem. This article is more useful to us on ghanaweb than all those useless articles on election petition, akufo-addo, mahama and our useless politicians. But, as ...
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  This is a very good article dealing with an urgent national problem. This article is more useful to us on ghanaweb than all those useless articles on election petition, akufo-addo, mahama and our useless politicians. But, as usual on ghanaweb, people won't read this.
  
  My only problem is if the writer could have given more PRACTICAL solutions to to the problem after his clearly identifying the major one - attacking the mosquitoes even before they get into our bedrooms.

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• Paul Amuna 12 years ago

  Although I touched on some solutions, I will specifically address these in a future article.

  Although I touched on some solutions, I will specifically address these in a future article.

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