World Malaria Day: What you should know about the new ‘anopheles Stephensi’ mosquito

Ghana has joined in with the rest of the world to commemorate the 2023 World Malaria Day (WMD) celebration.

As instituted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the WMD is observed by member countries on April 25 every year, to emphasize the importance of the fights against malaria, investments and governmental commitments toward the preventing and controlling malaria.

The 2023 celebration is under the theme; “Time to Deliver Zero Malaria: Invest, Innovate, and Implement.”

In Ghana, the health service directorate, at the Ghana Health Service, cautioned the public against a new mosquito specie known to be deadlier and spreads malaria faster.

The new strain, according to the service, was confirmed in March 2023, after samples were gathered from Tuba and Dansoman in the Greater Accra Region, according to a Daily Graphic report.

This, according to GHS, poses a greater risk of severe illness and death from malaria compared to the traditional anopheles’ mosquitoes, thereby cautioning the public to take immediate steps to protect themselves from mosquito bites.

In this piece, GhanaWeb highlights the characteristics of this new mosquito variant.

Facts about the new ‘anopheles Stephensi’ mosquito variant:

The Anopheles Stephensi;

• Transmits two malaria parasites; Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax compared to the anopheles.

• Breeds in almost any type of water body, unlike the common Anopheles species which is restricted to traditional breeding sites.

• Invades, spreads faster and adaptive to a myriad of climate conditions.

• Resistant to multiple insecticide grades currently in the market.

• Survives in very high temperatures during the dry season when malaria transmission normally decreases.

How to curb the spread:

To control the spread, the Director General of the service, Dr Patrick Kuma-Aboagye, advised that the following must be ahead to.

• Source reduction: removal of water collection points in and around homes and communities to minimize the breeding sites.

• Implement mosquito bite prevention mechanism;

* Use insecticide treated nets to protect themselves against indoor mosquito bites.

* Use repellents and wear clothing which protects against mosquito bites.

* Screen doors and windows of room.

As of April 13, 2023, Ghana became the first country in the world to approve a new malaria vaccine - R21/ Matrix-M.

The vaccine has been described by the scientists who developed it as a "world-changer" citing its effectiveness in combating the disease.

The BBC and the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA)-Ghana, have assessed the final trial data on the vaccine's safety and effectiveness and have decided to use it.

The FDA has approved the vaccine's use in children aged between five months to three years old who are at the highest risk of death from the disease.

It is the second malaria vaccine to be approved under the Malaria Vaccine Implementation Programme (MVIP) after MOS¬QUIRIX, RTS, S malaria vaccine.

Meanwhile, watch the latest episode of People and Places on GhanaWeb TV below:





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