Ghana, Nigeria recommend larvicide factory to deal with malaria

Ghana and Nigeria are proposing that in the next few years the two countries should establish factories to produce materials for the production of larvicides to kill the mosquito larvae that causes malaria. The effort which will break the transmission of malaria is part of the global agenda to deal with the disease.

Larva is one of the four stages in a mosquito’s life cycle and larvicides are products used to control mosquitoes in their larval stage.

Interacting with a group of journalists from the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN) in Accra, Mr. Joseph Yieleh Chireh, Health Minister, said locally, Ghana, in partnership with the district assemblies, is using larvicides and the spraying of breeding sites to control mosquitoes.

He said a multifaceted approach is being used to deal with malaria and policies such as the introduction of the new anti-malarial, artemisinin-based combination therapies, and the distribution of insecticide treated nets are all needed to eliminate malaria.

He told the group that currently the Affordable Medicines Facility for Malaria (AMFm) programme, launched early this year in the country, is aimed at making access to effective treatment of malaria by absorbing about 95 per cent of the cost of ACTs to make it affordable.

Earlier, Mrs Charity Binka, Executive Secretary of AMMREN, said AMMREN is an advocacy group formed in 2006 and it is made up of a group of African journalists and scientists working together in 10 countries to reduce the burden of malaria across Africa.

She said the journalists were calling on the Health Minster to find out whether the President of Ghana is represented at the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA) set up on the recommendation of the World Health Organization to give malaria a high profile to enhance the chances of eradicating it.

“ALMA, we know has been called upon to abolish all taxes and tariffs on malaria fighting commodities like bed nets, materials for indoor residual spraying (IRS) and ACTs. Countries like Kenya and Tanzania have abolished these taxes and tariffs and seen progress in the fight against malaria,” she added.

She said AMMREN is aware of appeals by the National Malaria Control Programme to deal with problems with fake drugs and the continued production of monotherapies to which malaria parasites have developed resistance.

She questioned if the Ministry has taken a decision to enforce the ban on monotherapies and empower the Food and Drugs Board to deal with those who flout the law.

“AMMREN is eager to know if the Ministry of Health is following progress of clinical trials of the RTS,S malaria candidate vaccine being undertaken in seven African countries including Ghana,” She added.

By Eunice Menka