Distribution of Insecticide Treated Nets ends

The global malaria prevention project initiated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), for the distribution of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) has ended.

Mr Sixte Zigirumugabe, an advisor for USAID President Malaria Initiate (PMI) has announced.  

He said the project, done in partnership with the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), aimed at achieving and maintaining a high level coverage and use of ITNs was successful in Ghana.

Mr Zigirumugabe made this known yesterday at a stakeholders’ forum to brainstorm on the success and challenges of the project since its inception in 2015.

He said the project also developed and implemented better ways of distributing ITNs.

It further conducted research to inform evidence-based decision-making and work to improve policy at global and country levels.

 So far, he said about 35million ITNs were distributed nationwide to curb the spread of malaria parasites and urged Ghana to implement some of the strategies learnt during the programme.

Mr Zigirumugabe said the project also focused on increasing the effectiveness of Ghana NMCP’s strategies for the continuous distributions channel for ITNs.

He stressed that the distributions of the ITNs to antenatal clinics, child welfare clinics and primary schools had witnessed significant reduction in malaria related deaths. 

“ITNs distribution in primary schools was an important channel of Ghana’s continuous distribution strategy, through which the NMCP and partners ensured that households received additional ITNs to improve families’ capacity to effectively prevent malaria.

“This had helped Ghana sustain high levels of ITNs coverage and ultimately improved malaria prevention nationwide,” he said.

The programme manager at the NMCP, Dr Keziah Malm, said the projects had been successful following the massive awareness and campaign on the need to sleep inside the ITNs.

She added that the distribution of the ITNs to pregnant women during antenatal also reduced the mother to child malaria transmission and wish the project could be extended.

According to her, there were district health monitoring teams in all regions to help improve distribution through health facilities by way of supportive supervision.

The Malaria Team Leader for Centre for Communication Programme, Mr Matthew Lynch said about 60million dollars was spent on the project globally, adding that Ghana was among countries whose programme was commendable.

BY BERNARD BENGHAN & ALBERTA BRONI