The malaria vaccination programme will soon be expanded throughout the country after a successful pilot in some selected regions.

It is part of interventions to deal with malaria cases, which are currently on the ascendency in the Western Region.

The expansion drive comes after positive reviews from the World Health Organisation (WHO).

According to Director of the Malaria Control Programme, Kezia Malm, there are discussions ongoing to consider the modalities for the expansion.

“WHO gave a positive recommendation of the pilot that we did. So, it recommended that the use of the vaccine should be expanded. Currently, there are mechanisms going on and there are discussions going on as to the modalities for the expansion, the resources, the vaccines, how we would get them and what quantities we would get.

“I’m sure very soon when things are well defined and set, we would come to the media and tell them exactly how and where the expansion would be,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has revealed that there is a decline in the number of malaria cases in the country.

However, the Western Region remains a major hotspot with number of cases rising.

This was disclosed by an epidemiologist with the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr Nana Yaw Peprah.

“If you look at the statistics, I guess we are very safe. We are safe because we have come very far. In 2017, we were recording about 600 mortalities a year; last year, we recorded 275.

“It means something is working [that] we can be proud of. We have interventions in place that working,” he stated.