Accra, Dec. 10, – Impact Santé Afrique (ISA), in collaboration with Ghana’s National Malaria Elimination Programme, has launched a documentary series titled #ProtectTheCure to highlight the growing challenge of malaria drug resistance in Africa.
The four-part documentary, produced by Boni Lab at Temple University in partnership with Normal Life Pictures Limited, is designed to engage policymakers and communities on the urgent need to protect malaria treatments for future generations.
Featuring perspectives from scientists, public health experts and affected communities, the film examines the nature of artemisinin resistance, its implications, and strategies to halt its spread.
Malaria continues to rank among the most serious public health threats in sub-Saharan Africa, affecting millions of households annually. In 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated 263 million malaria cases and 597,000 deaths globally, with Africa accounting for 95 per cent of the fatalities.
Beyond the loss of life, malaria places significant strain on health systems, hampers economic growth, and undermines the wellbeing of communities across the continent.
Over the past two decades, artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have significantly improved malaria control and saved millions of lives. However, the emergence of partial artemisinin resistance now threatens these gains and could reverse decades of progress if not urgently addressed.
Dr Felicia Owusu-Antwi, WHO Ghana Officer for Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, urged African countries to adopt multi-first-line therapy in malaria treatment to prevent the emergence and spread of drug resistance.
She made the call during a Regional Dialogue on Malaria Drug Resistance in Africa, held on the sidelines of the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA 2025).
Dr Owusu-Antwi explained that the strategy involves making several effective ACTs available at the national level, instead of relying on a single treatment option.
She also stressed the importance of conducting regular drug efficacy studies to generate data on how well malaria medicines were performing over time.
According to her, the gradual loss of effectiveness of current medicines was due to malaria parasites adapting to overcome treatments.
“If we lose these ACTs, we lose our strongest line of defence. We will see more severe cases, more deaths, overcrowded health facilities, and higher out-of-pocket payments for households,” she cautioned.
Dr Owusu-Antwi noted that although tools and guidelines for detecting resistance existed, many African countries lacked the funding to conduct proper surveillance.
She called on governments to take ownership of malaria research, education and monitoring efforts, noting that poor treatment adherence, self-medication and the circulation of substandard drugs were worsening the problem.
Dr Mark Nawaane, Chairman of Parliament’s Select Committee on Health and a member of the Coalition of Parliamentarians in the Elimination of Malaria in Africa (COPEMA), appealed to African governments to invest more resources in the fight against malaria.
He said Ghana was implementing several interventions, including larval source management, the use of treated bed nets and indoor residual spraying.
Dr Nawaane also highlighted efforts to import malaria medicines and roll out vaccines for children, stressing the need to sustain the momentum in the fight against the disease.
He disclosed that under a forthcoming primary healthcare programme, malaria treatment would soon be provided free of charge.
“When that happens, people suffering from malaria will seek care early at health facilities, and early treatment reduces complications and treatment failure,” he added.
He further noted that community education was ongoing to help people understand appropriate actions to take when malaria symptoms occur.
Mrs Cecilia Senoo, Executive Director of Hope for Future Generations (HFFG), called for stronger collaboration with civil society organisations, arguing that malaria control efforts were overly centralised.
She said malaria elimination would not succeed without the active involvement of civil society, manufacturers, mothers, community leaders and the media, and urged the adoption of innovative prevention strategies and sustained public education.
Mrs Senoo also encouraged government investment in malaria research and the expansion of the malaria vaccination programme, cautioning against overreliance on donor funding.
She further called for increased private sector involvement, particularly from the mining sector, to support malaria control efforts.
Dr Hilarius Abiwu, Programme Manager of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, assured the public that malaria medicines currently in use in Ghana remained highly effective, with cure rates close to 100 per cent.
He stressed that waiting to respond to resistance was not an effective strategy, underscoring the need for early-warning systems and proactive planning. He added that Ghana was exploring triple-drug combinations to stay ahead of potential resistance.
The regional dialogue was organised in collaboration with the RBM Partnership to End Malaria, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Target Malaria and Hope for Future Generations (HFFG).
GHBUSS
No comments:
Post a Comment