Ghana to start ambitious malaria elimination programme in October

Accra, Aug. 3, GNA - The Ministry of Health (MOH) would embark on a National Malaria Elimination Programme in October, to make Ghana the first country in Africa to eliminate the disease.

Dr George Sipa- Adjah Yankey, the Sector Minister who made this known in Accra said: "I believe that this is the time for us to wage a decisive war on malaria. I have heard a number of scientists say that we cannot eradicate malaria. The difference between me and my team of scientists. is that as a Minister, I am allowed to dream and provide the leadership," he said.

The minister, who made this known at the 74th Annual Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH), said he was liaising with his counterparts in Nigeria, Togo, Burkina Faso, La Cote d'Ivoire and Mali to make the programme a success.

The conference on the theme: "Managing Threats and Crisis: The Vital Role of Pharmacy in an Unstable World," is a prelude to the 10th Commonwealth Pharmacists Association Conference, which takes place in Accra from August 5- August 9.

Dr Yankey said malaria was a looming crisis since resistance was slowly developing against the best arsenal, which was the artemisinin based products.

The Health Minister noted that it does not make economic sense if Ghana continue to spend more than 760 million dollars annually to combat malaria. "It is morally right if we work to save those children who loose the battle with malaria every minute," he added. Dr Yankey called for the support of pharmacists to communicate the message that would enable the public to understand their role in managing the malaria crisis.

In response to a request by Dr Alex Dodoo, President of PSGH, for government to separate the prescription and dispensation of drugs under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), the Minister announced a team, with Dr Dodoo as Chairman to streamline the situation. Dr Yankey expressed the need for health providers to view every patient as a potential source of data, saying all drug outlets are a valuable source of information "We need as a matter of urgency to put in place a system that will enable such information to be systematically captured and fed into policy."

Dr Dodoo said there was evidence that when one person provided prescribing and dispensing services within any health insurance scheme, there was the over prescribing of medicines. He contended that for several reasons dispensing doctors cost insurance schemes much more than non -dispensing doctors. "Dispensing doctors are known to prescribe more branded medicines than non-dispensing doctors; to prescribe antibiotics for simple ailments than their counterparts who do not dispense, and also to cost the health insurance scheme much more money," he said. He called on managers of the NHIS to speed up the reimbursement of pharmacies, which supply medicines and other health commodities under the scheme.

Dr Dodoo said the PSGH was also committed to the promotion of a strong and active pharmaceutical industry, geared towards wealth creation, health promotion and employment generation to ensure that Ghana became the leading centre for pharmaceutical sciences and pharmaceutical industry activities in sub-Saharan Africa. Dr Dodoo said the PSGH was counting on the support of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) to provide extensive skills, dynamic networks and global advocacy to help make the Ghanaian Pharmaceutical industry the best in Africa.

Professor Kamal Midha, President of FIP, who spoke on "Improving Public Health in Ghana; Pharmacists Role and Responsibilities," expressed concern about the flooding of the market with counterfeit drugs, which posed a threat to public health and asked pharmacists to be at the forefront to fight the menace. He stressed the need for the improvement of pharmacy education and forging of closer collaboration between the PSGH and other stakeholders to ensure effective drug administration. The PSGH conferred honorary fellowship award on Prof. Midha for his meritorious duties to the FIP, which attracts more than two million pharmacists. 03 Aug. 09