During his trip to Ghana this past week, President Obama visited the La General Hospital in the Greater Accra Region to show support for the partnership between the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ghanaian Ministry of Health. 

One of the major health objectives this partnership aims to accomplish includes malaria prevention for pregnant women and infants. A prominent issue in maternal and child health, malaria infections during pregnancy causes the deaths of 10,000 pregnant women and 200,000 of their infants each year. While the malaria parasite itself is often the killer of those infected, anemia and malnutrition caused by the disease also result in deaths, with anemia killing more than 50 percent of infected women and children.

USAID and the Ghanaian Ministry of Health are therefore supporting maternal and child health efforts by strengthening malaria prevention and treatment as part of pre-natal, delivery and post-natal care throughout Ghana. Part of the plan includes increased use of insecticide-treated bed nets among pregnant women and children under the age of five. Studies show that use of bed nets can significantly decrease rates of infection – in some regions high use has resulted in a reduction of infections by almost 40% – and deaths. 

President Obama reaffirmed his commitment to ending malaria deaths while in Ghana. During his speech to the Ghanaian Parliament in Accra on July 11, he stated:

America will support these efforts through a comprehensive, global health strategy, because in the 21st century, we are called to act by our conscience but also by our common interest, because when a child dies of a preventable disease in Accra, that diminishes us everywhere. And when disease goes unchecked in any corner of the world, we know that it can spread across oceans and continents. 

To learn more, check out our maternal and child health fact sheet.

Tags: Malaria, maternal health, obama

Tags: Malaria, maternal health, obama
Categories:Health & Science