Malaria prevalence rate high in rural and poor communities

Poor and underprivileged communities have been identified as areas where malaria prevalence rate continue to soar with children being the most affected.

Mr. Daniel Amanang Darkwa, Head of Education and Training Department of the Ghana Pharmacy Council, told the GNA in an interview that the situation was due to the fact that people in rural and poor communities did not have the financial capacity to buy protective items to prevent the spread of the disease.

He said the prevalence rate also differed from region to region and that the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions recorded more malaria cases particularly during the farming season.

Mr. Darkwa spoke to the GNA at a training workshop on “Malaria Carece” organized by the Council for Pharmacists from the Western and Central Regions at Takoradi.

He said the Council had reviewed the National Anti-Malaria Policy and that the skills of service providers were, therefore, being upgraded to support the implementation of the policy.