Ghana has recorded a significant decline in malaria deaths, dropping from 3,259 in 2011 to 52 in 2025, representing a 98 percent reduction, the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, has announced.
In remarks delivered on his behalf at a durbar to commemorate World Malaria Day 2026 in Accra, the Director of Public Health at the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Franklin Asiedu-Bekoe, said the gains reflect steady progress in Ghana’s efforts toward malaria elimination.
He highlighted a significant decline in child malaria fatalities, which have fallen by 76 percent in just three years, while the introduction of RTS,S and R21 into routine immunization is further protecting children, with first-dose coverage reaching 78.3 percent.
Referencing this year’s theme, “Driven to End Malaria: Now We Can. Now We Must,” Dr. Asiedu-Bekoe said Ghana now has the tools, science and capacity needed to eliminate malaria, but stressed that urgency must match progress, as delays continue to carry heavy consequences for lives and livelihoods.
He noted that malaria elimination is not only a health priority but also a national development imperative, and pointed to the planned End Malaria Council and the recent Free Primary Health Care initiative as critical steps toward sustaining momentum, strengthening domestic ownership and accelerating progress toward elimination.
In his remarks, the Greater Accra Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Robert Amesiya, called for renewed urgency and stronger community ownership in the fight against malaria. He urged households to take responsibility for environmental sanitation, encouraged traditional and faith leaders to amplify prevention messages, and called on health workers to uphold strict clinical standards by testing before treatment and tracking adherence to care. He also reaffirmed the Regional Health Directorate’s commitment to stronger surveillance and the protection of vulnerable populations, particularly pregnant women and children under five.
In a solidarity message from partners, the World Health Organization Country Representative, Dr. Fiona Braka, said malaria elimination is no longer a distant aspiration but an achievable goal, noting that while Africa continues to bear the highest malaria burden, countries such as Ghana are demonstrating leadership through innovations such as malaria vaccines and next-generation mosquito nets. She outlined key priorities for sustaining progress, including stronger national ownership, smarter use of data and placing primary healthcare at the centre of the response.
The National Malaria Champion, Oheneyere Gifty Anti, called for a united national effort, stressing the need for collective will across all sectors. She urged political leaders to prioritize malaria elimination in budgets, encouraged the private sector to view malaria investments as critical to productivity, and called on families to support prevention efforts by sleeping under treated nets and ensuring children are vaccinated.
This year’s commemoration began with a health walk from the University of Ghana Business School through the principal streets of Madina and adjoining communities, ending at the University of Ghana Sports Directorate, where a durbar was held to rally stakeholders around the malaria elimination agenda. The event brought together health workers, students, traditional leaders, development partners, community volunteers and government officials in a show of shared commitment to ending malaria in Ghana.