Eunice Teah Dzagli, Health Promotion Officer at the Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate (GARHD) says the use of mosquito nets as trap doors and window nets does not keep mosquitoes away.
She said, “if mosquito nets are exposed to the sun, it loses its efficacy within three days of installation.”
In Ghana, some residents creatively use mosquito nets as screening material for doors and windows to hoping to prevent mosquito entry and reduce the risk of malaria.
Speaking at a planning meeting on the mass distribution of Long-Lasting Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (LLIN) in Accra on Tuesday, she said mosquito nets could last for three years when used in room without any wash but were no longer effective after 20 washes.
Madam Dzagli said the proper use of LLINs in rooms was a critical component in the fight against malaria and urged the public to use their mosquito nets properly.
Madam Evelyn Tabi, Deputy Director, Nursing Services at the GARHD, said the Greater Accra Region would from April 9th to 13th, begin a mass registration exercise to preceed the distribution of LLIN to households in all 29 districts across the region from May 2 to 6th.
She said the Greater Accra had been selected among other regions for Ghana’s malaria elimination programme and the GARHD was mandated to ensure that at least for three consecutive years, no malaria transmission would be recorded.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says sleeping under a LLIN is one of the best ways to prevent malaria, as they form a physical and chemical barrier against mosquitoes.
According to the global body, when mosquitoes try to bite someone sleeping under a LLIN, they are not only blocked by the netting but also killed by the insecticide coating.
Studies show that the use of LLINs reduced malaria incidence by 50 per cent in sub-Saharan Africa, a region which accounts for more than 90 per cent of global cases.
According to WHO, LLINs are much more effective than untreated mosquito nets because they are produced with netting that contains a WHO-recommended insecticide.
The insecticide effect lasts longer, and the nets can be used for up to three years or 20 washes, the global body says.
Dr Linda Baafi, Regional Malaria Focal Person, GARHD, said the mass net distribution campaign would distribute at least 90 per cent of the LLIN to households in Accra.
She said the registration would be done by Registered Assistants (RA) in person and online through a NetApp with a valid National Identification Card.