Improvement In Use Of Treated Nets

There has been a remarkable increase in the use of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) in Ghana by children under five years and pregnant women over the last few years. A total of 3.5 million nets were distributed in Ghana from 1998 to 2007 which had resulted in a 18-33 per cent reduction in mortality in children under five.
These were contained in the Ghana Malaria Action Alert (GMAA), bulletin, published by the National Malaria Control Programme, Ghana Health Service and the Voices for Malaria-Free Future Project.
Treated nets provide both physical and chemical barrier which prevent mosquitoes from biting and transmiting the malaria parasite and the most cost effective way of controlling malaria, according to the World Health Organisation.
The GMAA however, acknowledged that although Ghana had made significant progress in recent years, it still has a long way to go before it could achieve maximum ITN coverage especially in the dry season.
The bulletin said there were still 48.9 per cent of households without ITN coverage, and 68 per cent of children under five and 54 per cent of pregnant women not using ITN.
It, therefore, called on government officials to declare 2008 a year of providing more resources for ITNs.It further called on District Assemblies, Municipal and Metropolitan Assemblies to allocate at least a third of the one per cent of the District Assemblies Common Fund for malarial control for the purchase of ITNs and promotion of their use.
The GMAA said Ghana could achieve “ITNs for all households” if leadership at all levels acknowledge that “money spent on malarial control is money saved for promoting development”.
Story by Paula Ahema

Improvement In Use Of Treated Net

Source: www.modernghana.com (Daily Graphic)