News
Don’t use mosquito nets on trap doors
Madam Eunice Teah Dzagli, Health Promotion Officer at the Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate (GARHD), says the use of mosquito nets on trap doors and as 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, 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 emphasied that 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, also added that the Greater Accra Region would from April 9 to 13, begin a mass registration exercise to precede the distribution of LLIN to households in all 29 districts across the region from May 2 to 6.
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 declares.
Dr Linda Baafi, Regional Malaria Focal Person, GARHD, stated that 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. –GNA
A 29-year-old tricycle rider, Naah Mashood, has been sentenced to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour for defiling a three-year-old girl at Tiegber in the Wa Municipality.
The Domestic Violence and Victims Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Upper West Regional Police Command arrested the suspect on February 24, 2026, following a complaint lodged by the victim’s mother.
According to police, the convict, who had been contracted by the parents to pick the victim to and from school, lured her to an isolated location on February 23, 2026, and sexually assaulted her inside his tricycle, popularly known as ‘Camboo’.
After thorough investigations, he was arraigned before the Wa District Magistrate Court and subsequently stood trial at the Wa High Court.
On October 30, 2026, His Lordship Justice Osei-Wusu found him guilty of defilement and sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment with hard labour.
The Upper West Regional Police Command has commended the officers involved in the investigation and prosecution, as well as all persons who contributed to ensuring justice was served.
The Command urged parents and guardians to keep a close eye on their children and ensure their safety at all times, and encouraged the public to report suspected cases of child abuse and defilement to the nearest police station or DOVVSU office for prompt action.
It further assured the public of its commitment to protecting children and ensuring perpetrators of sexual offences are brought to justice.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Ashanti Regional Police Command has announced the arrest of three suspected members of a criminal syndicate believed to be behind a series of robberies targeting bank customers in Kumasi and its environs.
On October 31, 2026, at about 11:30 pm, an IGP’s Special Team, comprising personnel from the Anti-Armed Robbery Unit of the CID Headquarters and the Accra Regional Police Intelligence Directorate (PID), acting on intelligence, embarked on an operation to apprehend the suspects.
The operation led to the arrest of two Nigerian nationals, Aboy Promise, 30, and Favour Uwalaka, 45, at a hotel at Moshie Zongo. A search of their rooms resulted in the recovery of GH¢1,600.00, assorted mobile phones, a Royal motorbike and a master key used to gain unauthorized access to victims’ vehicles to steal cash.
During interrogation, the suspects admitted their involvement in the robberies and mentioned two accomplices, Chinedu, alias Alhaji, and Kingsley, alias KC.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the syndicate monitored banking premises, identified customers who withdrew substantial sums of money and trailed them before attacking and robbing them. They also broke into unattended vehicles belonging to bank customers using a master key to steal cash kept inside.
The suspects subsequently led the police team to another hotel at Dechemso, a suburb of Kumasi, where Kingsley, alias KC, 35, also a Nigerian national, was arrested.
The remaining accomplice, Chinedu, alias Alhaji, is currently on the run. The Command is appealing to the public to volunteer credible information that could lead to his arrest. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to report to the nearest police station or contact the police through emergency numbers 191, 112 or the toll-free MTN and Telecel line 18555.
The suspects admitted to robbing a victim of GH¢15,000.00 at Asokore Mampong on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, after the victim had withdrawn money from Kwamang Rural Bank. They also admitted to similar robberies at the Atonsu branch of Fidelity Bank, the Ahodwo branch of Access Bank and other locations within Kumasi and its environs.
The three arrested suspects have since been handed over to the Ashanti Regional Police Command and are assisting with investigations.
The Command has cautioned bank customers to remain vigilant, be alert to suspicious persons around banking premises and avoid leaving cash or other valuables unattended in vehicles, while commending the public for their continued cooperation and assuring residents of its commitment to combating robbery and other criminal activities in the region.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
