Accra, May 4, GNA - The President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) in collaboration with the US Embassy in Accra is expanding its indoor residual spraying from five to eight districts in the Northern Region, covering 141,621 households with over 708,000 people. Under the PMI, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is also providing 955,000 Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) for distribution in the Northern and Eastern Regions.

Dr. Benjamin Kumbour, Minister of Health, announced this when he received a quantity of items valued at 5.7 million dollar donated by the USAID through the U.S. Embassy on behalf of the Ghana Health Service on Tuesday.

The items included Insecticide Treated Nets, microscopes, rapid diagnostic test kits for the improvement of diagnosis and treatment of ailments, Maternal and Child Healthcare guidelines and other health education materials.

Dr Kumbour praised the Agency for helping the Ghana Health Service to scale-up the implementation of the Community-based Health Planning and Service (CHPS) initiative.

He called for closer collaboration with the USAID for the expansion of its health programmes and services to other deprived areas in the country.

Presenting the items, Mr. Donald Teitelbaum, US Ambassador to Ghana, reiterated the Embassy's commitment towards the fight against diseases and the prevention of malaria in the county. "This presentation represents a broader commitment on the part of the American people to help to improve the health status of the Ghanaian People", he said.

Mr Teitelbaum said the USAID provided the Western Region with 350,000 ITNs for distribution last year and urged Ghanaians to adopt the habit of sleeping under treated nets.