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UG professor calls for responsible behavior from Ghanaians during the rainy season to prevent malaria
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Lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon Professor Yaw Asare Afrane has called on Ghanaians to act responsibly during the rainy season by keeping their surroundings clean to help prevent malaria and other mosquito borne diseases.
Delivering a public lecture on Thursday, May 28, 2026 In Accra on the topic “Mosquitoes, Environment and Public Health: The Role of Communities in Disease Prevention,” he explained that mosquitoes remain among the deadliest animals in the world because they transmit diseases such as malaria, lymphatic filariasis, dengue fever and yellow fever.
He noted that according to the World Health Organization’s 2025 report, about 503 million malaria cases were recorded globally, adding that many more unreported cases existed because several infected persons relied on self medication rather than visiting health facilities.
He further indicated that approximately 70 people could have been dieing from malaria
during the time of the lecture.
Professor Afrane stated that lymphatic filariasis, commonly associated with elephantiasis, remained endemic in 118 districts in Ghana, although interventions by the Ghana Neglected Tropical Diseases Programme had reduced the burden to only eight highly affected districts.
He disclosed that dengue fever outbreaks had been reported in Ghana’s Eastern and Central Regions, stressing that more than 2,000 cases were identified through research activities rather than routine hospital diagnosis.
He explained that his research journey began at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine, where he developed an interest in mosquitoes and malaria transmission through urban agriculture.
According to him, irrigation activities in urban farming areas created breeding grounds for mosquitoes, increasing malaria transmission in cities such as Kumasi.
He recounted that his early research findings earned him an opportunity to present at a malaria conference in Tanzania in 2002, where he secured a scholarship to pursue his PhD studies.
Professor Afrane further revealed that his doctoral research in Kenya focused on the relationship between environmental changes, deforestation and malaria epidemics in highland regions.
He explained that clearing forests increased temperatures and created stagnant water pools that supported mosquito breeding, making malaria transmission possible in areas previously considered too cold for mosquitoes to survive.
He added that his studies established that deforestation caused significant temperature increases that accelerated mosquito and parasite development.
Speaking on mosquito ecology in Ghana, he indicated that mosquitoes bred mainly around human settlements rather than in forests. He cited discarded car tyres, broken containers, stagnant drains, air conditioner water collection points and poorly maintained surroundings as common mosquito breeding sites.
He stressed that heavy rainfall and improper environmental sanitation contributed significantly to the spread of mosquito borne diseases.
Professor Afrane stated that Ghana had made progress in malaria control through interventions such as insecticide treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying and larval control programmes.
However, he warned that mosquito resistance to insecticides and pesticides posed major challenges to control efforts.
He explained that exposure to agricultural pesticides and household insecticides enabled mosquitoes to develop resistance, reducing the effectiveness of many control measures.
He further disclosed that invasive mosquito species from Asia had entered Ghana through ports such as Tema and Takoradi, increasing concerns about new disease outbreaks.
According to him, climate change and environmental degradation could also allow mosquitoes to spread into colder and high altitude areas previously free from mosquito borne diseases.
Professor Afrane advocated stronger environmental management, improved urban planning and increased investment in mosquito research and control.
He urged communities to clear stagnant water, dispose of waste properly and maintain clean surroundings to reduce mosquito breeding. He also called for renewed enforcement of sanitation regulations and the training of more experts in mosquito research and vector control.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, commended Professor Afrane for delivering what she described as an engaging and enlightening lecture that highlighted the strong connection between environmental management and public health.
She observed that human activities such as urban farming, mining, deforestation and poor sanitation continued to create favourable conditions for mosquito breeding and disease transmission.
Professor Appiah Amfo stated that mosquitoes had demonstrated remarkable adaptability by changing their behaviour and developing resistance to chemicals used against them.
She stressed that Africa could not continue fighting mosquito borne diseases with outdated methods and therefore needed innovation, stronger surveillance systems and environmentally sustainable approaches to vector control.
She praised Professor Afrane’s research contributions, noting that his work had influenced malaria control strategies and public health interventions in Ghana and across Africa.
She highlighted his role in mentoring young African scientists and building research capacity through collaborations and international partnerships.
Professor Appiah Amfo further stressed that mosquito control was not solely the responsibility of scientists or government institutions but required collective action from communities and individuals.
She urged the public to maintain clean environments, remove stagnant water and support proper sanitation practices to reduce mosquito breeding sites.
She concluded by encouraging members of the public to take personal responsibility for environmental sanitation, stressing that controlling mosquitoes and mosquito borne diseases depended largely on changing human behaviour and improving community practices.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Women have been asked not to dismiss painless lumps in the breast, as the absence of pain does not mean a lump is harmless.
A Specialist Radiation Oncologist at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Mary Ann Dadzie, said women should seek medical attention promptly whenever they noticed any unusual changes in the breast.
“A painless lump is not a harmless lump. You need to take action and not wait for pain,” she said.![Prof.Dr.Grace Ayensu-Danquah [middle] launching of Breast Cancer Awarencss Mouth with Dr.Caroline Reindorf Amissah[second from right] and other officials Photo Okai Elizabeth.](https://spectator.com.gh/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Prof.Dr_.Grace-Ayensu-Danquah-middle-launching-of-Breast-Cancer-Awarencss-Mouth-with-Dr.Caroline-Reindorf-Amissahsecond-from-right-and-other-officials-Photo-Okai-Elizabeth.jpg)
Dr Dadzie made the call at the 2026 national launch of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, held on the theme, “early action, better outcomes.”
She expressed concern that about 45 per cent of breast cancer patients seen at Korle-Bu failed to return after starting treatment.
According to her, some patients began treatment but later stopped reporting to the hospital, leaving health professionals uncertain about their wellbeing.
She attributed the situation to several factors, including fear of death, financial difficulties, long distances to health facilities, lack of time and stigma.
Dr Dadzie urged women to know their breasts and seek medical attention within two weeks of noticing any abnormality.
She said warning signs could include a lump or thickening in the breast or armpit, changes in breast size, an inverted nipple, nipple discharge and changes in the skin, including redness, sores or an orange-peel appearance.
She cautioned women not to assume they were safe simply because they had no family history of breast cancer, explaining that only about five to 10 per cent of women with the disease had a familial or genetic mutation.
Dr Dadzie encouraged women to undergo regular clinical breast examinations and discuss appropriate screening options, including mammography and ultrasound, with health professionals.
She also called on families, particularly husbands and partners, to support women who needed breast examinations or treatment.
“Home is where the support begins,” she said, urging families to provide practical assistance such as transportation and childcare.
Dr Dadzie further appealed for breast cancer services to be brought closer to communities through increased access to mammography, ultrasound and biopsy services, as well as the training of more health professionals.
The Deputy Minister of Health, Prof. Dr Grace Ayensu- Danquah, said breast cancer remained a major health concern among women in Ghana, with an estimated 4,650 new cases and about 2,060 deaths recorded annually.
She said Ghana’s breast cancer response focused on prevention, early detection, equitable access to treatment and compassionate care.
Dr Ayensu-Danquah said the country was working to strengthen awareness, clinical breast examinations, referral systems, pathology and diagnostic services to improve breast cancer outcomes.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) representative, Dr Joana Ansong, said too many women continued to present with advanced breast cancer, resulting in avoidable suffering and deaths.
She called for stronger health education, timely diagnosis, rapid referral and equitable access to comprehensive treatment and support.
Dr Ansong said breast cancer awareness should move beyond campaigns to sustained action involving government, communities, health professionals, civil society organisations, the private sector and families.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Authorities of Percheyire R/C Basic School in the Yilo Krobo District of the Eastern Region are concerned about the safety of teachers and learners of the school, as reports of the condition of the structure appear to have fallen on deaf ears.
The ramshackle classroom structure looks like one that could cave in in the case of a heavy storm and, according to the teachers, teaching and learning become impossible when the rains set in.
The structure, which accommodates pupils from Primary Four to Six, has worn-out roofing sheets, mud walls and sections supported by wood used as pillars.
A source at the school, who requested anonymity, told The Spectator in an interview that the situation was particularly difficult during the rainy season.
“When it rains, it means teaching and learning would come to an end,” he said.
The source explained that the challenge affected only the upper primary section, as pupils from Kindergarten to Primary Three were housed in a relatively better block.
According to the source, about 30 pupils from Primary Four to Six currently use the dilapidated structure, but expressed grave concern about its condition.
The source, however, said that the safety of the pupils, their furniture and books remained a concern, particularly during heavy rains.
The source said the situation had been reported to the relevant authorities and was hopeful that the structure would eventually be reconstructed.
Some pupils sitting in one of the classrooms
Despite the visit to the school, authorities indicated that work would be undertaken, but the school was yet to receive further information on when the project would begin.
The source also identified the poor road network to the school as another challenge affecting enrolment, saying the school serves pupils from Percheyire and three neighbouring communities.
It also emerged that an enrolment drive embarked upon in one of the communities, Togodo, showed that more than 60 school-going children lived in the community, but were unable to attend the school regularly because of the distance and poor road.
The school currently has about 110 pupils from Kindergarten through Junior High School, according to the source.
The source said improving both the classroom infrastructure and the road network would help create a more conducive learning environment and potentially improve enrolment.
A former teacher of the school, Rev. Elizabeth Korasare, said she was surprised to find the structure still in use after 38 years.
“I was surprised to see that the classroom I sat in 38 years ago is in the same state. Even though there are some new blocks, the upper primary is still housed in that same dilapidated structure,” she told The Spectator.
She therefore appealed to the relevant stakeholders to support the school by building a modern structure and improving the road network.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
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