An estimated 15,000 children would be saved from malaria-related deaths within the next three years if they sleep under insecticide treated nets, Dr Iyabode Olusanmi, Country Representative of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) noted on Monday.
She said malaria is a major cause of under-five mortality rates in the country and therefore all stakeholders should collaborate to educate the public on the need for them to sleep in treated mosquito nets since many people have the nets but fail to use them.
Dr Olusanmi, who made the projections when she handed-over more than 1,301 pieces of Long Lasting Insecticide Treated Nets (LLITNs) to the Central Region Health Administration at a short ceremony in Cape Coast, also identified the major cause of anemia in pregnancy to malaria.
The British Government funded the nets totaling, 2.35 million to be distributed to over 800,000 households in the Western and Central regions to help to reduce malaria deaths by 75 per cent by 2015 as stipulated in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
She said it was UNICEF’s aim to advocate for effective utilization of the nets by individuals, because existing data showed that only one out of five children aged below five actually slept under an insecticide treated nets.
UNICEF asked for collaboration among the Ghana Health Service (GHS), District Assemblies and Non Governmental Organizations to ensure that the intended targeted groups received the mosquito nets and added that a survey would later be carried out to assess how effective the distribution was done.
Dr Elias Sory, Director General of the GHS warned people in fishing communities to desist from using the treated insecticide nets as fishing nets.
Mrs Ama Benyiwa Doe, Central Regional Minister, assured the donors that her office in collaboration with the various districts chief executives would ensure the effective usage and equitable distribution of the nets to open up more of such donations.