Experts at a virtual summit on World Mosquito Day have underscored the profound impact of malaria elimination on a country’s economic growth.
An analysis of malaria data from 180 countries has revealed that every 10 per cent reduction in malaria cases is associated with an average rise of 0.3 per cent in Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
This statistic takes on greater significance when applied to high-burden, low-income countries, where the same reduction in malaria is associated with an astonishing increase in GDP per capita of nearly two per cent.
Professor Evelyn Ansah, Director of the Centre for Malaria Research at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), emphasized the need for active participation in the national malaria elimination agenda.
Speaking at the summit, she stated that the elimination agenda calls for the media’s involvement in advocating for issues that demand urgent attention to expedite the process of malaria elimination.
Professor Ansah stressed that policymakers, especially in the allocation of funds, must be actively engaged in the fight against malaria, considering that an estimated $34 billion is required globally over the next seven years to meet the 2030 malaria elimination agenda.
She also highlighted six key areas contributing to the elimination efforts, including reinforcing the global strategy, research and development for new tools, sustained financing (with increased domestic funding), and community engagement.
However, Prof. Ansah cautioned that elimination could not be achieved without the participation of all sectors of development. Ministries such as local government, agriculture, interior, finance, and institutions like Parliament must unite in this endeavour, with the media playing a pivotal role in advocacy.
Globally, eleven countries, including Ghana, account for a staggering 70 per cent of malaria cases and deaths. In 2021 alone, more than 619,000 malaria-related deaths were reported out of 247 million cases recorded in 84 malaria-endemic countries. Shockingly, in Africa, 229 out of every 1,000 people fall sick with malaria each year.
