Accra — Ghana’s public health sector is celebrating what officials describe as a historic milestone after new figures revealed a 98% reduction in malaria-related deaths over the past decade.
Data presented at the 2026 World Malaria Day durbar in Accra showed that malaria fatalities dropped significantly from 3,259 deaths in 2011 to just 52 in 2025. The achievement is being hailed as one of the country’s most remarkable public health successes in recent years.
The Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, together with other senior health officials, announced the figures during the national commemoration, attributing the progress to sustained and coordinated interventions across the country’s healthcare system.
According to health authorities, the reduction resulted from a multi-pronged strategy that combined prevention, treatment, and vaccination efforts. A major contributing factor has been the introduction of the RTS,S and R21 malaria vaccines into routine childhood immunisation programmes, with first-dose coverage now reaching 78.3%.
Officials also reported a 76% decline in malaria-related deaths among children under five within the past three years. They attributed the improvement to faster diagnosis, improved case management, and expanded access to community-based healthcare services.
Other interventions, including the mass distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets, indoor residual spraying in high-burden communities, and strengthened treatment systems in both public and private health facilities, have also played a significant role in reducing malaria transmission nationwide.
Speaking at the durbar to mark World Malaria Day 2026 in Accra, health officials described the achievement as evidence of what can be accomplished when science, policy, and community participation are effectively aligned. One official noted that Ghana’s progress demonstrates “how targeted interventions can reshape the health outcomes of an entire nation.”
Despite the milestone, health authorities cautioned against complacency and urged the public to continue sleeping under mosquito nets, seek routine testing for fevers, and ensure full vaccination coverage for children. They stressed that achieving complete malaria elimination would require sustained investment and continuous public cooperation.
Officials further suggested that Ghana’s success could serve as a model for other disease-control efforts across Africa while emphasizing the need to maintain momentum until malaria is fully eradicated.
Story by Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah