Malaria, the leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, is both preventable and treatable. Thankfully, heightened awareness and global efforts to fight the disease have led to recent progress. Since 2000, malaria incidence in Africa has decreased by 31% and mortality rates have reduced by 49%.[1] For an in-depth look at malaria prevention and treatment in Ghana, check out the WHO Ghana Fact Sheet.
The best way to reduce malaria at the community level is considered to be vector control through the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor spraying with residual insecticides. These methods stand out for their ability to bring malaria transmission from very high levels to close to zero.[2] GHEI’s Malaria Prevention program focuses on promoting of the use of LLINs, or bednets.
A common problem with bednet interventions is that owning a net does not always translate to sleeping under a net. There are many reasons why bednets are owned but not used; including heat, discomfort, inconvenience and lack of knowledge of how to hang them. To help overcome these barriers, GHEI community health workers work with household members to initially hang bednets, then offer in-home small group education on bednet use and maintenance and finally, complete follow-up visits to periodically check-in on household bednet use.
For World Malaria Day Humjibre, GHEI held a classic celebration and educational outreach program. The evening began with general education on malaria, bednet use and proper care, and a talk given by a nurse from the Humjibre Health Clinic on malaria symptoms, treatment and prevention for pregnant women. Afterwards, three short dramas were expertly performed by GHEI staff, community health workers and volunteer teachers on the importance of bednet use for pregnant women, children under 5 and seeking prompt treatment.
One of the highlights of the evening was a screening of the Fufu Films original, United Against Malaria (2010). This vintage GHEI film was locally produced and starred our very own GHEI health team and community health workers (many of which are still with GHEI). Taking place in Humjibre, the film was perfectly relatable for the audience and fun to watch.
The program was presented in Sefwi so that everybody could understand. After a rainy weekend, attendance at the event was relatively low. GHEI normally enjoys a great level of community support but, like other organizations offering interventions, has to grapple with the dilemma of how to keep everyone interested. Those that did attend the event came completely on their own will and were pleased to participate.
With the goal of presenting a program to meet the specific needs of each of our catchment communities, World Malaria Day celebrations were different in both Kojina and Soroano. A bednet sweep is planned for World Malaria Day Kojina. GHEI’s health team and community health workers will visit homes throughout the small community to inspect bednets and offer education. In Soroano, the community recently held a clean-up day to help beautify and remove mosquito breeding grounds. Following the success of World AIDS Day in December, Mensah lead a World Malaria Day discussion over the Public Information System and commended everyone in Soroano for doing their part in protecting the community. The talk was well-received and afterwards, some students even came to Mensah to collect new bednets to bring to boarding school.
GHEI is a dynamic organization, and is constantly working to improve our programs and outreaches to best fit the changing contexts of our communities. By promoting bednet use year-round and adapting global events like World Malaria Day, we are doing our part to help defeat malaria.
[1] World Health Organization, World Malaria Day, http://www.who.int/campaigns/malaria-day/2014/event/en/ (28 April 2014).
[2] World Malaria Day.
The best way to reduce malaria at the community level is considered to be vector control through the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor spraying with residual insecticides. These methods stand out for their ability to bring malaria transmission from very high levels to close to zero.[2] GHEI’s Malaria Prevention program focuses on promoting of the use of LLINs, or bednets. A common problem with bednet interventions is that owning a net does not always translate to sleeping under a net. There are many reasons why bednets are owned but not used; including heat, discomfort, inconvenience and lack of knowledge of how to hang them. To help overcome these barriers, GHEI community health workers work with household members to initially hang bednets, then offer in-home small group education on bednet use and maintenance and finally, complete follow-up visits to periodically check-in on household bednet use.
For World Malaria Day Humjibre, GHEI held a classic celebration and educational outreach program. The evening began with general education on malaria, bednet use and proper care, and a talk given by a nurse from the Humjibre Health Clinic on malaria symptoms, treatment and prevention for pregnant women. Afterwards, three short dramas were expertly performed by GHEI staff, community health workers and volunteer teachers on the importance of bednet use for pregnant women, children under 5 and seeking prompt treatment.One of the highlights of the evening was a screening of the Fufu Films original, United Against Malaria (2010). This vintage GHEI film was locally produced and starred our very own GHEI health team and community health workers (many of which are still with GHEI). Taking place in Humjibre, the film was perfectly relatable for the audience and fun to watch.
The program was presented in Sefwi so that everybody could understand. After a rainy weekend, attendance at the event was relatively low. GHEI normally enjoys a great level of community support but, like other organizations offering interventions, has to grapple with the dilemma of how to keep everyone interested. Those that did attend the event came completely on their own will and were pleased to participate. With the goal of presenting a program to meet the specific needs of each of our catchment communities, World Malaria Day celebrations were different in both Kojina and Soroano. A bednet sweep is planned for World Malaria Day Kojina. GHEI’s health team and community health workers will visit homes throughout the small community to inspect bednets and offer education. In Soroano, the community recently held a clean-up day to help beautify and remove mosquito breeding grounds. Following the success of World AIDS Day in December, Mensah lead a World Malaria Day discussion over the Public Information System and commended everyone in Soroano for doing their part in protecting the community. The talk was well-received and afterwards, some students even came to Mensah to collect new bednets to bring to boarding school.
GHEI is a dynamic organization, and is constantly working to improve our programs and outreaches to best fit the changing contexts of our communities. By promoting bednet use year-round and adapting global events like World Malaria Day, we are doing our part to help defeat malaria.
[1] World Health Organization, World Malaria Day, http://www.who.int/campaigns/malaria-day/2014/event/en/ (28 April 2014).
[2] World Malaria Day.
