Malaria cases in children reduce drastically in Cape Coast metropolis

Correspondence from Central Region

The Cape Coast Metropolitan Health Directorate has recorded a significant decrease in malaria cases recorded among children under five years.

It recorded 40,702 cases last year as compared to 45,804 recorded in 2021.

The figure represents a decline of 5,102 cases within the metropolis.

Mr. James Adu Poku, the Cape Coast Metro Immunization Officer attributed the decrease to the malaria vaccines piloted across the country to help reduce malaria death in children.

He said a total of 3,693 children have fully completed the fourth dose of the malaria vaccines in the metropolis out of the 77,709 targets.

Though the metropolis could not achieve its vaccination target, the Immunization Officer attributed the failure to the long gap between the first to fourth dose intake.

Mr. Adu-Poku noted that due to the situation, the Ghana Health Service has reduced the intake of fourth doses from two-year children to 18 months to mark with the second dose of measles vaccines to increase patronage.

The Metro Health Directorate has increased education and sensitization on the intake of malaria vaccine adding that the initiative caused the reduction of misconceptions associated with the vaccines earlier.

He noted that the Metropolis over the past two years recorded zero death of malaria cases in children under five years describing the situation as ‘remarkable’.

In total, the Metropolis recorded a total of 29,159 malaria cases last year as against 29,954 recorded in 2021.

Mr. Adu-Poku admitted the vaccine had come to reduce the burden of malaria, especially among children under five years across the country.

Malaria, he noted continued to be a deadly disease and advised caregivers to get their children fully vaccinated against it.

He reminded them that children are supposed to get their last fourth dose of the vaccine to ensure safety against malaria.

Mr. Adu- Poku advised mothers to sleep under treated mosquito nets to prevent them from contracting the disease.

The Malaria Vaccination Implementation programme is a three-year immunization initiative rolled out in 2019.

The RTS vaccine was recommended in 2016 by the World Health Organization (WHO) for a pilot introduction in selected areas of three African countries; Ghana, Kenya and Malawi.