Audio By Carbonatix
Experts say malaria cases as well as the population of mosquito larvae at breeding sites have reduced significantly across the country since the commencement of the Integrated Vector Control Programme in 2008.
The announcement can be considered good news for Ghana which is regarded as one of the malaria hyper-endemic countries in the world with malaria being a leading cause of under five child mortality.
The project is aimed at eradicating malaria in the country by using a combination of two bacteria, the bacillus thuringiensis israelenis and bacillus sphaericus 2362 together known as biological larvicides, to control mosquito larvae.
The biological larvicides, said to be non-poisonous and environmentally friendly, target and kill mosquito larvae when applied to breeding sites.
Briefing the press on the success rate of the control program, the Technical Head of the Pharmaceutical and Biological Laboratories (LABIOFAM), Dr. Mavy Hernandez said over 620 positive breeding sites with malaria-producing Anopheles mosquitoes were identified in some parts of Accra, Kumasi and Sunyani.
According to her, the identified areas in Accra which benefitted from the project have seen about 70 percent reduction in malaria cases with a 30 percent reduction recorded in Kumasi and Sunyani.
The Advisor to the LABIOFAM Project, Dr. Hafez Adam Taher explained the application of the biological larvicides would gradually eliminate parasite-carrying mosquitoes as well as reduce the adult mosquito population in the environment.
He maintained even though the project was aimed at eliminating the root cause of malaria, it was an added value to existing malaria interventions such as treated mosquito nets.
According to the project executors, plans are underway to establish a factory in Ghana to produce the biological larvicides locally thereby transferring technology and technical know-how from the Cuban specialists to Ghanaians.
A team of 22 specialists from LABIOFAM are partnering the Ministry of Health to undertake this project.
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