By Emmanuel Akayeti
The Upper East Regional Directorate of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) has ended its fourth round of the Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) exercise undertaken in 2021.
The exercise which had four rounds of dosages with one month interval apart, started 5th July and ended on –30th November 2021.
In an interview with GBC’s URA RADIO in Bolgatanga on the outcome of the exercise, the Upper East Regional Malaria Focal Person and an Entomologist Sydney Abilba said the exercise had remarkable results.
”Since the introduction of SMC in the Upper East in 2016, the Region has witnessed a tremendous improvement in terms of under-five malaria issues, till date such that in 2020, there was no single death of malaria case recorded in the Region.”.
Mr. Abilba stated that the intervention has been very helpful and from their performances over the years indicate that there is a high acceptance rate of the exercise by Community members and care-givers.
He said Ghana Health Service still entreat all caregivers and key stakeholders like the media, chiefs and opinion leaders to encourage all within the Community to continue to adhere to all the Malaria preventive measures like the continual use of the bed nets within their households, Pregnant women taking SP and all children under five years taking the SMC Medicines during the raining/high transmission season.