Ghana joined the rest of the world to mark World Mosquito Day yesterday with a call for intensified vector-control interventions to protect the public against the growing threat of mosquito-borne diseases.
Health experts said Ghana’s changing mosquito-borne disease landscape, particularly the emergence of diseases such as dengue, required the country to broaden its focus beyond the traditional fight against malaria to safeguard public health.
The call was made at a webinar organised by the Vector Research Group of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research to commemorate the day in Accra yesterday.
The Programme Manager of the National Malaria Elimination Programme at the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Hilarius Abiwu, in a presentation said dengue was emerging as a mosquito-borne disease of concern in the country.
He said in 2024, 206 confirmed cases out of 1,471 suspected cases were recorded, with dengue detected in 11 out of the country’s 16 regions.
The programme manager explained that dengue could easily be mistaken for malaria, as patients often presented with fever and other similar symptoms but failed to respond to anti-malaria treatment.
According to him, while the female Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit malaria predominantly bite at night, Aedes mosquitoes, which transmit dengue, were more active during the day.
Consequently, interventions such as sleeping under insecticide-treated nets, although critical for malaria prevention, might not provide adequate protection against dengue.
Dr Abiwu said the Aedes mosquitoes could breed in stored water around homes, urging the public to pay greater attention to environmental sanitation and eliminate potential mosquito breeding sites.
He assured that despite funding cuts and limited resources, the programme was working to map disease risks, strengthen research and surveillance, improve health workers’ ability to distinguish dengue from malaria, and leverage existing community structures for broader mosquito-control activities.
Associate Professor of Theoretical and Applied Biology at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor Kingsley Badu, underscored the importance of understanding the different mosquito species and their behaviour when designing prevention measures.
He called for intensified efforts to improve sanitary conditions, tackle insecticide resistance and sustain interventions that had contributed to Ghana’s progress in malaria control.
Meanwhile, the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), in a statement to mark the day, said despite scientific advances that had significantly improved the prevention and control of diseases such as malaria, millions of people across Africa remained at risk as mosquito-borne disease threats continued to evolve.
The Network called for renewed investment in science, innovation and accurate public information to strengthen Africa’s fight against mosquito-borne diseases.
World Mosquito Day is observed annually to raise awareness of the health risks posed by mosquitoes and the importance of prevention and control measures against mosquito-borne diseases.
This year’s celebration was on the theme: “Beyond Malaria: The Future of Mosquito-Borne Disease Control.”
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
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