Upper East Region launches ACTs for malaria
The Upper East Regional Directorate of Health Service on Friday launched the Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria (AMFm) in Bolgatanga.
The National Malaria Control Program has a goal which is to facilitate development by reducing the burden of malaria by 50 per cent by the year 2010 and 75 per cent by 2015.
Dr Koku Awoonor Williams, Regional Director of Health Services, in an address said malaria accounts for over 38 per cent of total Out Patient Department (OPD) attendance in public health institutions with 53.3 per cent of the OPD cases reported in 2010 at both public and private health facilities in the Upper East Region.
He said it was the priority of the Ministry of Health, Ghana health Services and other development partners to fight against malaria which was one of the leading causes of ill-health and deaths in Ghana.
He disclosed that a total of 709,877 malaria cases were recorded in 2010. Out of the number 27,383 were admitted due to malaria and 440 died as a result of the disease.
“The proportion of malaria as a cause of OPD services reduced slightly from 1.8 per cent in 2009 to 1.6 per cent in 2010, and under-five malaria case fatality had consistently reduced from 2.1 per cent to 1.4 per cent between 2007 and 2010”, Dr Awoonor said.
Dr Awoonor noted that one of the pillars of the malaria control strategy in the roll back malaria initiative is Case Management saying the principle of early recognition of the disease and prompt treatment, using appropriate and effective anti-malaria drugs was key.
He said Ghana adopted a new anti-malaria drug policy which recommends the use of Artemisinin-base Combination Therapies (ACTs) in 2004 as first line treatment for uncomplicated malaria.
Mr Mark Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, said Artesunate-Amodiaquine was recommended in Ghana with two other ACTs, Artemether Lumefantrine (AL) and Dihydroartemisini Piperaquine (DP) as alternative first line Malaria treatment.
He said people still use mono-therapies and other ineffective medicines for simple malaria treatment and indicated that the reason behind this is due to the high cost of ACTs medicines, and this gave rise to the introduction of the AMFm.
Mr Woyongo said Ghana is selected among the nine countries worldwide to pilot the AMFm initiative and could not afford to gamble with the facility.
He gave the assurance that over 1.7 million doses of these affordable medicines (AMFm-ACTs with green leave logo) were in the country and were available in Pharmacies and licensed Chemical Sellers Shops all over the country at not more than GH¢1.50.
Mr Woyongo therefore called on all to be vigilant and report any facility selling these drugs above the approved price to the Regional Director of Health Service and the National Malaria Control Programme offices in Accra, Tamale and Kumasi for prompt action.
Mr James Amoh, the chairman of the Chemical Sellers Association advised those who were still using old drugs to stop and patronize the of new drugs such as Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACTs) which he indicated were affordable, reliable and available.
Source: GNA