Launch of Strengthening Quality of Malaria Care and Surveillance in Ghanaian Communities, Accra, Ghana

In April 2017, the INDEPTH Network was awarded a three year project (2017-2019) by Comic Relief UK & GSK to strengthen the quality of malaria care and surveillance in Ghanaian communities (Kintampo, Dodowa, and Navrongo health and demographic surveillance system sites). The project aims to accelerate the reduction of malaria burden among children under ten years and pregnant women in rural communities through a package of: a) access to quality malaria care at the community b) improved knowledge among malaria care providers c) enhanced community demand for quality malaria care and d) quality malaria data for decision making.

Between 27th and 28th July 2017, the INDEPTH Resource and Training Centre will launch the project at Miklin Hotel in East Legon, Accra, Ghana. Project partners, including AMMREN and research teams from Kintampo, Dodowa, and Navrongo Research Centres, will attend on the 27th. Stakeholders will join on the 28th including district and regional directors representing the three implementing study sites, representatives from the National Malaria Control Programme, and Department of Policy and Planning in the Ministry of Health. Dr. Kwaku Poku Asante from Kintampo Health and Research Centre and Dr. Mamusu Kamanda from the INDEPTH Resource and Training Centre will facilitate the meeting.

The aims of the workshop are to give an overview of the aims and objectives of the project, and to get stakeholder involvement on how to maximize the impact of the project. Further, we will discuss how the current project can support the national programme for malaria control as well as how project activities can be sustained beyond the life of the research grant.