Full text: https://healthpolicy-watch.news/how-ghana-slashed-child-malaria-deaths-b...
Extracts below:
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Ghana has combined the malaria vaccine with other proven tools, including using trusted voices to counter misinformation.
For decades, malaria has been one of Africa’s most persistent health challenges. In Ghana, it was once the leading cause of death for children under five. Bed nets and antimalarial drugs reduced deaths substantially, but by the mid-2010s, the pace of improvement had declined...
Then, between 2019 and 2024, under‑five malaria deaths fell by 86%. This did not happen by chance.
With strong support from government, local leaders and technical partners, and a willingness to learn and adapt to changing needs, Ghana is showing that sustaining impact is possible.
Three things drove the decline in Ghana’s under-five malaria deaths: redesigning vaccine delivery around the needs of families in high-burden areas, activating trusted voices to counter misinformation at every level, and layering the vaccine with other proven tools rather than treating it as a standalone solution...
Trusted voices counter misinformation
Communities initially met the vaccine with curiosity and cautious optimism, alongside some hesitancy. We quickly learned that misinformation was a major challenge, and our early communications underestimated how fast rumours could spread on social media.
Ghana Health Service (GHS) deployed teams to track and counter false and misleading narratives circulating across social and traditional media.
At the same time, in-person feedback gathered in areas where the malaria vaccine is used provided valuable insights into community perceptions of the vaccine. Based on that information, the GHS then activated trusted voices to share clear and consistent information and address concerns directly.
First, we trained frontline health workers to answer questions clearly and confidently during household visits and outreach sessions.
Second, the GHS broadcast discussions on TV and radio in local languages, with live phone-in sessions that allowed community members to raise concerns and get immediate clarification from experts. In parallel, we trained radio talk show hosts and journalists to provide consistent, fact-based coverage and to invite health experts to debunk rumours live on air.
Finally, we developed evidence-based infographics and other visual materials to counter misinformation and shared them widely across social media platforms. All this would not have been possible with a strong network that included community health workers, chiefs, religious leaders and civil society organisations.
As families began to notice fewer malaria hospitalisations and deaths, trust and demand steadily grew. This is when we expanded the anti-misinformation campaign nationwide, including in areas where rollout was phased, and reinforced confidence through robust safety monitoring with Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority...
Every child in Africa deserves the opportunity to grow up free from the threat of malaria.
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COMMENT (NPW): Every person needs access to relevant, reliable healthcare information on malaria to empower them to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease. Ghana has demonstrated that lives can be saved by improving access to reliable healthcare information and protecting people from misinformation, as part of a wider public health package.
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org