Delegates from the National Malaria Control Program and Vector Link Project on the 1st of April 2022, paid a unitary visit to the Navrongo Health Research Centre (NHRC) to appreciate efforts taken by the Centre in the quest to disrupt malaria transmission in Northern Ghana.
The 6-member team was led by Mr. James Frimpong, a deputy programs manager of the National Malaria Control Program under the Presidential Malaria Control Initiative (PMI) which was launched in 2005 with the aim to reduce malaria-related mortality by 50% across 15 high-burden countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The PMI was implemented in Ghana in 2008 to fit in well with the National Malaria Control strategy. The Initiative plans on building on investments made by PMI and other partners to improve and expand malaria-related services.
The Head of the Biomedical Science Department of the Centre, Dr. Victor Asaola in a remark said the NHRC was in the position to take charge of the research and monitoring of malaria transmission in four regions of Ghana, namely, Upper East Region, Northern Region, Bono and Ahafo region.
After a scheduled tour of the biomedical laboratory and its various units, particularly, the parasitology laboratory, which handles malaria microscopy, schistosomiasis, Helminthes, related blood and stool parasites and the Medical Entomology unit which houses an insectary for breeding mosquitoes, the joint team made a donation of equipment relevant for upgrading the biomedical laboratory of NHRC.
The acting director of the Centre, Dr. Patrick Ansah appended his signature to a document signifying the transfer of ownership of 12 sets of equipment to NHRC which include; bug dorm insect rearing cages, humidifiers, hugrostat condairs, thermo-hygrometers, mouth aspirators, dissecting kits, a handheld pH meter, CDC light traps and 6V batteries, battery chargers for sealed gelled-electrolyte battery, Pasteur pipettes, WHO susceptible tests kits rings and shelves for mosquito cages.
The ownership of these laboratory equipment will be significant to the “purpose of maintaining functional entomological insectary on the premises of NHRC”.
