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Severe malaria admissions and related deaths have declined across all age groups in the Ashanti Region, Regional Director of Health Services, Dr Fred Adomako-Boateng, has said.
Cases among children under five years of age admissions reduced from 27,846 in 2023 to 21,343 in 2025, with mortality remaining extremely low, resulting in a negligible fatality rate.
Similarly, admissions among persons aged five years and above decreased from 70,311 to 57,886 over the same period, with minimal fluctuations in mortality.
Dr Adomako-Boateng, who disclosed this during a media engagement to commemorate this year’s World Malaria Day, said the overall proportion of hospital admissions attributable to malaria also declined from 24 per cent in 2023 to 15.67 per cent in 2025, indicating a reduced burden on health facilities.
It was on the theme: “Driven to end malaria: Now we can. Now we trust”.
He said preventive efforts among pregnant women had improved steadily, with IPTp3 coverage increasing from 49.2 per cent in 2023 to 58.4 per cent in 2025, and added that despite the progress, coverage remained below optimal targets.
The situation, he said, highlights the need for intensified efforts in antenatal care services and community sensitisation, saying, “I urge people to sleep under insecticide-treated nets every night to prevent mosquito bites.
“I urge people to recognise that not all fevers are malaria and should always seek testing before treatment.
Adhere to the principle of ‘test before treat’ to ensure appropriate case management”, he said.
Further, he added that malaria prevention and control were a shared responsibility, emphasising that every individual, household and community had a critical role to play towards dealing with it.
He called on stakeholders to leverage the progress achieved, strengthen partnerships, and mobilise the necessary resources to accelerate the elimination of malaria in the region and the nation at large.
“Let this commemoration renew our collective commitment and galvanise action in our communities.
Ending malaria is within reach, but it requires decisive action now,” Dr Adomako-Boateng stated.
Vaccination week
In another development, the regional health directorate has launched the 2026 annual African Vaccination Week (AVW) on the theme: “For every generation, vaccination work”. It is scheduled to be commemorated from April 27, 2026, to May 3, 2026.
Other activities include vaccination of children under five years, vitamin A distribution, ITN for children at 18 months and defaulter tracing at all levels.
It is an annual public health campaign observed during the last week of April across countries in the World Health Organisation African Region, aimed at strengthening immunisation programmes and raising awareness of the importance of vaccines in preventing diseases.
At the ceremony, Dr Adomako-Boateng said over the past 50 years, vaccines had saved more than 154 million lives, roughly six lives every minute, significantly improving child survival and preventing diseases throughout adulthood.
A key emphasis, he said, was on Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination given the high burden of cervical cancer in Africa, adding “cervical cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women in sub-Saharan Africa largely due to the late detection and limited access to screening and treatment services”.
“AVW serves as a vital opportunity to accelerate progress toward cervical cancer elimination through increased HPV vaccine uptake, ultimately protecting future generations of women and reducing preventable death across the continent”, he added.
