Fighting Malaria one test at a time
Reducing Malaria through health outreach, prevention and education
Necessity
Reduce the severity of malaria in pregnant women and children under 5 years old in northern Ghana.
Activity
Train and equip CBA's to educate families on the recognition of symptoms, test for and provide treatment of malaria for their households.
Countable effort
Every GOOD DEED gives families immediate access to 4 kits of malaria rapid tests.
Result
Reduction of severity of malaria through early diagnosis and treatment.
Systemic effect
Significant improvement to the long-term health outcomes for mothers and babies.
Background
Malaria is endemic in Ghana. The North region is characterized by one rainfall season that begins in May, peaks in August, and lasts until September. There is a six to seven month transmission season in a larger part of the north of the country, with the highest number of cases occurring between July and November. Although Ghana’s entire population is at risk of malaria infection, children under five years of age and pregnant women are at higher risk of severe illness due to lowered immunity. With 2.1% of global malaria cases and 1.9% of global malaria deaths, Ghana is among the 15 highest burden malaria countries in the world. It accounts for 4.3% of malaria cases in West Africa between 2017–2020.
The good deed
Even though, Ghana’s entire population is at risk of malaria due to different ecological factors, pregnant women and under-five children are at higher risk of severe illness due to environmental challenges and to their low immunity. While advancements have been made, Malaria remains one of the leading causes of illnesses and deaths in Ghana. HPIC’s Hope project is centered around the development of Community Based Agents who live in the communities and provide immediate and available diagnosis and treatment for diseases such as malaria, pneumonia and diarrhea. With the support of every GOOD DEED the project will be able to procure 4 malaria rapid testing kits. This will enable the CBAs to timely detect and treat cases of malaria in the community, hence reducing the under-5 mortality rates in the community.
About Kugre Province, Ghana
Capital of Ghana :
Accra
in the South at the Atlantic Ocean
Population
Ghana
32,83 million (2021)
GDP per capita
2,883 CAD$
(2021)
HDI
0.632
ranks 133rd out of 191 countries
(2021)
Our GOOD DEED takes place in the North of Ghana in the Songo and Kugre provinces of the Garu district of the Upper East Region of Ghana very close to the neighboring country of Burkina Faso.
About the organization and further information
Health Partners International of Canada
