Accra, Aug. 27, GNA - More than 17,000 people who were displaced by floods in the Central Region received extra protection against malaria infection from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

A release issued in Accra by Mr. Henry Akorsu, Development Outreach and Communications Specialist at USAID, Ghana, said USAID distributed 7,560 Insecticide Treated Nets (ITN)estimated at about 53,600 dollars to flood victims from 34 communities in five districts.

The beneficiary districts were; Agona West, Agona East, Gomoa East, Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem, and Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam.

The statement said the ITN distribution was part of the coordinated response from development partners to the disaster caused by a heavy rainfall on June 20, which killed about 11 people and displaced over 17,400 people in the Central Region, according to statistics from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO).

In the aftermath of the floods, malaria infection risk had increased largely because the displaced people had more exposure to mosquitoes and the potential of mosquito breeding had grown.

USAID implements US Government's economic and technical assistance programmes in developing countries, including Ghana with funding from the President's Malaria Initiative.

In addition, it supports improvements in access, quality and use of malaria prevention measures in Ghana.