Accra, Dec. 9, – Health experts have warned that the emergence of artemisinin resistance in parts of Africa poses a serious threat to Ghana’s progress in malaria control, cautioning that failure to strengthen surveillance, research, and public education could reverse decades of gains.
The warning was issued at a high-level dialogue on malaria elimination held on the sidelines of the ICASA 2025 Conference, where stakeholders examined the growing challenge of drug resistance on the continent.
Dr. Felicia Antwi, WHO Country Representative for Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, said new mutations of the malaria parasite were gradually reducing the effectiveness of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), which remain the cornerstone of global malaria treatment.
She disclosed that Rwanda, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda had already recorded increasing cases of partial resistance, stressing that rising cross-border movement and air travel heightened the risk of continent-wide spread.
“The medicines we depend on are becoming less effective because the parasites are adapting to overcome them,” Dr. Antwi said.
“If we lose ACTs, we lose our strongest line of defence. That will result in more severe illness, increased deaths, congested health facilities, and higher out-of-pocket costs for families.”
Dr. Antwi noted that while tools and guidelines for detecting drug resistance were available, many African countries lacked the financial resources to conduct routine surveillance. She urged governments to take greater ownership of malaria research, monitoring, and public education to safeguard existing treatments.
She further expressed concern about poor treatment adherence, widespread self-medication, and the circulation of fake or substandard antimalarial drugs, describing them as factors accelerating resistance.
Dr. Hilarius Abiwu, Programme Manager of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), said malaria remained the single largest disease burden on Ghana’s health budget.
He disclosed that Ghana spends approximately US$100 million annually on malaria interventions, with 60 per cent funded by the Global Fund and the remaining 40 per cent contributed by government.
Dr. Abiwu cautioned that drug resistance could significantly drive up treatment costs, recalling that older malaria medicines once costing less than US$1 were replaced by far more expensive ACTs after resistance emerged.
“If we do not protect the medicines we have today, Ghana will be forced to spend several times more just to treat malaria. That is why investment is required not only from government and development partners, but also from the private sector,” he said.
He cited mining companies such as AngloGold Ashanti, which reduced malaria-related absenteeism after investing in vector control, and called for a multi-sectoral response involving agriculture, sanitation, transport, and tourism.
Dr. Abiwu explained that irrigation practices in agriculture, poorly maintained open drains, and stagnant water created ideal mosquito breeding sites, while discarded lorry tyres in the transport sector were among the most significant contributors.
He added that increased travel and tourism could introduce new parasite strains, making sustained investment in prevention essential.
“The only way to stay ahead is to make the right investments early,” he said, adding that the NMEP continuously monitored emerging risks and intervened promptly to prevent major setbacks.
Mrs. Cecilia Senoo, Executive Director of Hope for Future Generations (HFFG), called for deeper collaboration with civil society organisations, arguing that malaria control efforts remained overly centralised.
“Malaria elimination cannot succeed when key partners are left out. Civil society, manufacturers, mothers, community leaders, and the media all have vital roles to play. We need innovative prevention strategies and sustained public education,” she said.
Mrs. Senoo urged the government to increase funding for malaria research and expand the malaria vaccination programme, stressing that Ghana should not rely solely on donor support.
She also appealed for stronger engagement with the private sector, particularly mining companies, to support national malaria elimination efforts.
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