Ghana Health Service to Protect 1.5 Million Children in Major Seasonal Malaria Prevention Campaign
Accra, Ghana – July 2, 2026 — The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has launched a nationwide seasonal malaria prevention campaign aimed at protecting approximately 1.5 million children aged between three and 59 months across Northern Ghana during the peak malaria transmission season. The initiative combines the free administration of seasonal malaria medicines with the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets to help reduce infections and save young lives.
The campaign, which begins its next phase from July 2 to July 5, 2026, will be implemented through trained community health volunteers who will conduct door-to-door visits to administer anti-malaria medication free of charge. The intervention targets children living in the Northern, Savannah, Bono East, Upper East, Upper West, North East, and Oti Regions, where malaria transmission is highest during the rainy season.
Speaking at a media briefing in Accra, Ghana Health Service Director-General Prof. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea urged parents and caregivers to cooperate fully with health workers and ensure every eligible child completes all treatment cycles for maximum protection.
According to the GHS, Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) remains one of the country’s most effective malaria prevention strategies, capable of reducing malaria episodes among young children by up to 75 percent when all prescribed treatment cycles are completed. Health officials stressed that the medicines are safe, effective, and provided entirely free of charge.
Alongside the medication campaign, the Ghana Health Service is also distributing Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) to pupils in Primary Two and Primary Six nationwide. The school-based distribution is designed to improve household protection against mosquito bites while complementing routine net distribution through antenatal clinics, child welfare clinics, HIV and tuberculosis clinics, and periodic nationwide campaigns.
Health authorities say Ghana has made significant progress in its fight against malaria over the past decade. National malaria prevalence has declined from 27.5 percent in 2011 to 8.6 percent in 2022, while malaria-related deaths have dropped dramatically from 3,259 deaths in 2011 to just 52 recorded in 2025, reflecting sustained investments in prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and community health interventions.
However, officials caution that malaria remains one of the leading causes of illness and death among children under five in Ghana, particularly in the northern belt where seasonal rains create ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes. The Ghana Health Service is therefore encouraging families to allow community health volunteers access to their homes, administer every monthly dose to eligible children, and ensure mosquito nets are used consistently every night.
The annual Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention campaign forms part of Ghana’s broader national malaria elimination strategy and aligns with global recommendations by the World Health Organization for countries experiencing highly seasonal malaria transmission. Health experts believe sustained community participation and high treatment coverage will be critical to further reducing malaria infections and protecting vulnerable children across the country.
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