Accra: The Biomedical and Public Health Research Unit (BPHRU) of the Water Research Institute under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-WRI) is set to hold its first World Malaria Day event in Accra. The event, slated for April 25, 2025, aims to create awareness of malaria prevention and control, enhance collaborative research, and accelerate progress towards the Global Technical Strategy milestones.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Akua Kyerewaa Botwe, a Malaria Expert and Research Scientist at the BPHRU of the CSIR-WRI, stated that the event would be under the sub-theme: Sharing Concepts of Disease Prevention and Control to Reignite Investments in Malaria Research. She noted that the sub-theme was derived from the global theme for the World Malaria Day celebration, 'Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite.' Dr. Botwe explained that the global theme sought to re-energize efforts at all levels to accelerate progress towards malaria elimination.
Presentations at the event will focus on topics such as 'From the Bites to Breakthroughs: Reinvesting in the Fight Against Anopheles and Malaria,' 'Malaria Impact and Elimination,' and 'Malaria Vaccine Innovation for Prevention and Control.' Dr. Botwe highlighted that malaria remained one of the top three diseases in outpatient departments and the main cause of morbidity and mortality among children below the age of five years in Ghana.
She noted that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), Ghana recorded 6,552,000 of the 263 million global malaria cases and 11,343 deaths of the 597,000 global deaths in 2023. This equated to 2.5 per cent of global cases and 1.9 per cent of deaths due to malaria worldwide. Additionally, Dr. Botwe said that WHO considered Ghana a high malaria burden country that was barely on track for the achievement of global milestones.
As a result, she stated, the BPHRU of the CSIR-WRI sought to share concepts of disease prevention and control to reignite investments in malaria research. Dr. Botwe called on all citizens and stakeholders to unite to drive innovation and action in the fight against malaria for the benefit of the country.