Malaria, caused by the Plasmodium parasite, leads to fever, chills, and headaches. In severe cases, malaria can be fatal.

In 2021, it claimed more lives in Africa, particularly among children under five, than in any other region worldwide. In Ghana alone, malaria caused the deaths of over 1,500 people from 2018 to 2022.

Dr Kezia Malm, head of the National Malaria Control Programme, highlights the progress made in reducing malaria deaths.

“Last year, we recorded 146 deaths in our health facilities. That's a significant reduction from the thousands in 2012. So we believe that if we continue and even heighten our efforts, we should be able to eliminate malaria deaths,” says Dr. Kezia Malm.

Despite these gains, the number of malaria cases in Ghana has been rising for years, increasing from 350,000 in 2018 to 438,000 in 2022.

“Our goal is to eliminate malaria. We have three objectives. The first is to achieve near-zero malaria deaths. The second is to bring 21 districts to the elimination point. The third is to reduce malaria cases by 50 per cent. We expect to still have malaria in 2028, but we don’t want to see any deaths,” Dr. Malm adds.

The Ghana Health Service faces the challenge of distributing limited funds across its many initiatives.

Amidst these struggles, the Ecobank Foundation launched the “Zero Malaria Business Leadership Initiative,” a beacon of hope in the fight against malaria.

Spearheaded in Ghana by Ecobank Ghana, Speak Up Africa, and The Multimedia Group, this initiative aims to rally corporate organisations to join the battle against malaria, providing crucial support where it's needed most.

Dr Daniel Kasser-Tee, Head of Marketing and Communications at Ecobank Ghana, explains, “Studies show how malaria affects everything: work, schooling, general health, and even the GDP of nations. Its impact is devastating.”

The initiative is now yielding results after a strategic shift.

“Ecobank started with an initial seed capital of $120,000, and we are working through private sector participants to mobilise more funds to ensure sustainability.

"We have disbursed our $120,000 in procuring a Toyota Hilux vehicle, digital microscopes, and electronic tablets,” says Dr. Kasser-Tee.

Dr. Kofi Nsiah Poku, Chairman of the Kina Group and a champion of the Zero Malaria Business Leadership Initiative in Ghana, is leveraging his expertise to bring in partners to support the program.

“We can raise funds for the malaria control programme to help eliminate malaria in Ghana,” he says.

Meanwhile, his company is working on developing a bivalent vaccine, which will soon be ready for clinical trials.

“I'm sure by the end of the year we'll start the clinical trials, and it takes about three years for the trials to be completed,” Dr. Poku adds.

The Ghana Health Service is impressed with the donations. “These items will help fill the gaps in our efforts towards malaria elimination. Sometimes health workers need to do outreach or field interventions but struggle due to inadequate transport. The tablets will also help us improve our data collection,” says Dr. Malm.

Like other African countries, the coalition of companies in Ghana aims to raise millions of dollars to fight malaria.