The Institute of Social Research and Development (ISRAD) in partnership with the Ghana Health Service have commenced the distribution of 641,000 free long lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) to households in the Upper East Region in a bid to help fight malaria.
The distribution begun on Monday across the 13 districts in the region and will end on Sunday January 31, 2016.
The initiative funded by UK Aid is aimed at curbing the worrying malaria death rate in the region and to encourage people to sleep under the LLIN nets.
The Upper East Regional focal person on malaria, Mr. Stephen Bordotsiah said the region recorded 415,412 confirmed malaria cases in 2013, 314,125 cases in 2014 and 366,821 cases in 2015.
He however added that malaria death toll in the region stood at 216 in 2013, 88 in 2014 and an increase of 122 deaths in 2015.
This worrying statistics according to Mr. Bordotsiah resulted from low utilization of treated mosquito nets, inadequate supplies of essential commodities for malaria control activities, the folding up of Anglo Gold Ashanti malaria control activities in the region and importantly replacement of worn out LLIN’s 2012.
He reiterated that the intervention by ISRAD and the GHS is timely and will help reduce the malaria prevalence rate in the region which currently stands at 11.7%.
Speaking to Citi News Upper East Regional coordinator of ISRAD Mr. Abdul-Razak Issah said the project is aimed at creating awareness on the use of the LLIN nets.
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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana