By Rachel Kakraba
Across Ghana, the Ministry of Health and the Ghana Health Service, through the National Malaria Elimination Programme, are intensifying efforts to eliminate malaria.
As a result, multiple intervention programmes have been scaled up, alongside the introduction of new strategies. One of the key interventions is the use of long-lasting insecticide-treated nets, owing to their practicality and ease of use. However, over time, experts say mosquitoes have developed resistance to pyrethroids used in standard insecticide-treated nets. This has prompted Ghana to phase out standard nets in favour of new-generation and PBO-treated nets.
Dr. Nana Yaw Peprah, Deputy Programme Manager of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, was speaking in an interview with GBC Online as Ghana joins the global community to commemorate World Malaria Day on Saturday, April 25, 2026.
Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease, yet still affects millions worldwide. Globally, an estimated 282 million cases of malaria were recorded in 2024, with 610,000 deaths. However, through sustained interventions and strong partnerships, Ghana has made significant strides in reducing malaria cases and deaths from 151 in 2022 to 52 in 2025. These gains were made through proven key interventions including Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention and vaccination.
The long-lasting insecticide-treated nets which complement other interventions, remain one of the most cost effective as it can last for several years, requiring minimal maintenance while continuing to provide protection. This makes them particularly suitable for rural and low-income communities across Ghana. Over the years Ghana has relied on pyrethroid long-lasting insecticide-treated nets for its malaria intervention programmes; however, experts say there has been cause for concern.
Speaking in an interview with GBC Online, Deputy Programme Manager of the National Malaria Elimination Programme, Dr. Nana Yaw Peprah, said this is the reason Ghana is phasing them out.
“You realize that the insecticides we use for some of these nets, similar insecticides, are used in agricultural space. And when you have mosquitoes being exposed to the same thing over a period of time, they get used to it”
He said new options are now available which involves the addition of an ingredient that enhances the effectiveness of pyrethroids, helping them work better.
“The option we have is to add an ingredient that makes the pyrethroids work better. It’s called PBO. And we also have the option of new insecticides which are not pyrethroids. So now what we have decided as a programme is that we are not going to bring nets that have only pyrethroids, because that is where you see mosquitoes coming to dance around your nets because, they don’t fear them again.”
He added, “Now with the new ones we are bringing in, the PBO nets and the new generational nets, if they attempt to dance around the nets, they will be knocked down and they will die.”
Dr. Peprah said that following intensified monitoring and insecticide profiling, and in light of emerging insecticide resistance, standard mosquito nets are being gradually phased out across the country.
“We realized that there were some areas that had the insecticide resistance, so we’ve been distributing new generational nets and PBO nets. But now we realize it’s across the country, that’s why we are phasing out standard nets and now we are bringing only new generational nets and PBO nets. So now we have it everywhere, not just in some selected areas”
Dr. Peprah expressed concern over reduced resources from external partners, challenging the private sector to invest in elimination programmes.
“Unfortunately, we have a very big challenge of reducing resources from our external partners. But we see this as an opportunity for us to own it as a country, invest in it, it’s not just about the government. We need the private sector to also come on board, and of course, for all the other stakeholders in Ghana. What we are saying is that malaria elimination is only possible if we own it as communities, as journalists, as individuals in our homes”
He said with Ghana having all the tools available it is a good opportunity to eliminate malaria.
Researcher of the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Prof. Anita Ghansah, said the malaria parasite will continue to adapt. What however, matters is for the country to have adaptive policy that can stand the test of time.
“Interventions create evolutionary pressure on the parasite population, and the parasite is adapting silently. If we put surveillance together with the adaptive policy, we will be making a lot of strides for elimination. So the question no longer is whether the parasite will adapt, it is whether our strategies will adapt faster”
The evolving nature of the malaria parasite underscores the need for forward-looking strategies. This transition to new generational nets is therefore a critical step to sustain the gains made in the fight against Malaria and accelerate Ghana’s progress towards elimination.
