17 Jun, 2025
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In commemoration of World Malaria Day 2025 (WMD 2025), the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), in collaboration with the Ghana National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) and the Africa Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN), hosted a virtual event on Wednesday, April 23, 2025 under the global theme ‘Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite’. The event featured engaging presentations, expert panel discussions and the official launch of the 6th Edition of the UHAS Malaria Newsletter, a flagship publication of the University’s Centre for Malaria Research (CMR-IHR).
Although the global event was on Friday, April 25, UHAS marked the occasion earlier with a zoom-hosted webinar that drew over 150 participants from academia, public health practitioners, both print and electronic media practitioners and policymakers. Participants included individuals based in Ghana, South Korea, Kenya and the Gambia.
The Acting Director of the Institute of Health Research (IHR), Professor Kwame Ohene Buabeng, was the Chairperson for the event. In his opening remarks, he reflected on Ghana’s progress in combating malaria over the years. ‘We are now in the phase of malaria elimination. And if the same level of commitment continues, malaria could become a thing of the past, just like smallpox or polio,’ he stated. Professor Buabeng however warned that challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation and potential antimalarial drug resistance could threaten elimination efforts.
The Executive Secretary of AMMREN, Dr. Charity Binka, delivered a compelling message on the role of communication and journalism in malaria elimination. She said, ‘The fight against malaria will not be won in the laboratories alone. It must be won in living rooms, classrooms, churches and across the media.’ Dr. Binka urged researchers and health professionals to partner with journalists to simplify and amplify technical messages for public understanding.
Representing the World Health Organization (WHO) Ghana Office, Dr. Felicia Owusu-Antwi, National Professional Officer for Malaria, shared a global and national perspective on the malaria burden and interventions. She reported that the WHO African Region accounted for approximately 94% of global malaria cases in 2023. While recognizing Ghana’s progress in reducing malaria deaths and expanding access to essential services, she warned against complacency by saying ‘The gains can be reversed without sustained political commitment and community engagement.’ She emphasized the importance of surveillance, vector control and seasonal chemoprevention. ‘The path to zero malaria is a shared journey, each step forward must be informed by data, driven by science and sustained by partnerships.’ she stated.
The Deputy Programme Manager of the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Dr. Nana Yaw Peprah, spoke on behalf of Dr. Keziah Malm, Programme Manager at NMEP. He outlined the progress achieved so far and key national strategies and real-world challenges facing Ghana’s malaria programme. Dr. Peprah stressed that the National Malaria Elimination Strategic Plan (NMESP) aims to reduce malaria deaths by 90% and eliminate the disease in at least 21 districts by 2028. One key strategic objective of the NMESP is to ensure that everyone in Ghana has adequate knowledge, positive attitude and practices and requisite skills for malaria elimination by 2028. ‘Elimination will not be imported. It must be built in Ghana by Ghanaians.’ he asserted.
In her remarks on the WMD 2025 theme, the Director of the CMR, IHR-UHAS, Dr. Matilda Aberese-Ako, declared that existing WHO data show that ‘Malaria claims a life every minute, most of them in the African Region.’ She made a clarion call that since the world already possesses the tools to defeat malaria, there is the need to re-energize for action, premised on the three core elements in the theme: (1) reinvest, which is to protect malaria achievements and unlock new potentials in 2025, (2) reimagine innovative strategies and tools needed to accelerate progress towards ending malaria and (3) reignite the commitment to ending malaria.
A former Director of CMR IHR, Professor Evelyn Korkor Ansah, officially launched the 6th UHAS Malaria Newsletter. She noted that the Newsletter has been a collaborative effort between the Centre for Malaria Research, UHAS and the Ghana NMEP from its inception. She outlined its themes including a spotlight on policy and practice by the National Malaria Eliminated Programme where Ghana’s response to the recent shifts in global resourcing for malaria was highlighted; Voices from the Field highlighting Post Discharge Malaria Chemoprevention (PDMC), a new intervention being piloted in six health facilities; Global News on Malaria highlighting the hosting of the 2024 edition of the Science of Defeating Malaria Leadership Course by UHAS, as well as upcoming conferences with malaria themes.
The 2025 UHAS World Malaria Day Webinar was not just a commemoration; it was a convergence of science, policy, media and community for a common cause. From government efforts and research innovation to global partnerships and media advocacy, the message was clear that ‘Malaria Ends with Us...’
As the world marked World Malaria Day on April 25, 2025, UHAS had once again affirmed its role not only as a hub of academic excellence but as a driving force in Ghana’s national health agenda.