Malaria in Ghana: Symptoms, Causes, Prevention, Treatment, and When to Seek Medical Care
Description: Learn about malaria in Ghana, including symptoms, causes, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, warning signs, and practical ways families can reduce malaria risk.
Important medical note: This article is educational and should not replace examination, testing, or treatment by a qualified healthcare professional.
Malaria remains one of the most important infectious diseases affecting Ghana and many other African countries. It is caused by parasites transmitted primarily through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes. The disease can range from an uncomplicated febrile illness to a life-threatening emergency.
Ghana has made progress against malaria, but the disease remains a major health concern. WHO’s 2025 Ghana malaria country profile continues to track malaria cases, deaths, and prevention interventions, while Ghana’s national malaria program continues to work toward control and elimination.
For families in Ghana, malaria is more than simply “ordinary fever.” A person with fever, chills, headache, weakness, or other symptoms may have malaria, but similar symptoms can occur with other infections. Testing is therefore important rather than assuming every fever is malaria.
What is malaria?
Malaria is a parasitic infection transmitted through mosquitoes.
When an infected mosquito bites a person, malaria parasites can enter the bloodstream. The parasites eventually multiply inside red blood cells, producing many of the symptoms associated with malaria.
The disease is especially important in tropical and subtropical regions because the environmental conditions can support mosquito breeding.
Ghana’s malaria situation has improved in several areas over the years. WHO reported that malaria parasite prevalence among children in Ghana declined from 20.6% in 2016 to 8.6% in 2022, while Ghana has also developed strategies aimed at malaria elimination.
Nevertheless, progress does not mean malaria has disappeared.
A brief history of malaria
Malaria is not a modern disease. Historical evidence shows that malaria has affected human populations for thousands of years.
The word “malaria” comes from an Italian expression associated with “bad air,” reflecting an old belief that the disease was caused by unhealthy air from marshes.
Scientific understanding changed significantly in the nineteenth century when researchers established the connection between malaria parasites and mosquitoes.
The discovery that mosquitoes transmit malaria transformed prevention strategies. Instead of simply treating sick people, public health programs could also attack the transmission cycle through mosquito control, environmental management, insecticide-treated nets, and other interventions.
In Africa, malaria remains particularly important because environmental conditions, mosquito populations, health-system challenges, and socioeconomic factors can interact to increase transmission.
Ghana has consequently incorporated malaria control into its broader primary healthcare and disease-control programs.
What causes malaria?
Malaria is caused by parasites belonging to the Plasmodium genus.
The parasite is normally transmitted through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.
The mosquito itself becomes infected after feeding on a person carrying malaria parasites. It can subsequently transmit the parasite to another person.
Malaria is therefore not simply caused by “dirty surroundings.” Poor environmental conditions can increase mosquito breeding, but transmission requires the malaria parasite and an appropriate mosquito vector.
Common symptoms of malaria
Malaria symptoms can vary from one person to another.
Common symptoms include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Sweating
- Headache
- Weakness
- Muscle aches
- Joint pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal discomfort
- General tiredness
In some people, symptoms can initially appear similar to the flu or other infections.
This is one reason why self-diagnosis can be dangerous.
A person may say, “I know my body; this is malaria,” but another illness could be responsible.
Malaria symptoms in children
Children can become seriously ill from malaria, particularly when diagnosis and treatment are delayed.
Parents and caregivers should take symptoms such as fever, unusual weakness, repeated vomiting, difficulty feeding, confusion, convulsions, or abnormal sleepiness seriously.
A child who appears significantly more unwell than expected should receive prompt medical assessment.
Ghana Health Service also emphasizes malaria prevention among children, including consistent use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
Malaria during pregnancy
Pregnancy requires particular attention because malaria can pose risks to both the mother and unborn baby.
Pregnant women should attend antenatal appointments and follow the malaria-prevention measures recommended by qualified healthcare professionals.
Pregnancy can alter how certain illnesses affect the body, so pregnant women should not rely on home remedies or leftover medicines when they develop a fever.
If a pregnant woman develops fever or other concerning symptoms, she should contact a healthcare professional promptly.
How is malaria diagnosed?
Malaria should ideally be confirmed through appropriate testing.
Depending on the healthcare setting, testing may involve:
- Microscopic examination of blood
- Rapid diagnostic tests
- Other laboratory methods where available
Testing helps distinguish malaria from other conditions that can cause fever.
This is particularly important because not every fever in Ghana is malaria.
How is malaria treated?
Treatment depends on factors such as
- Whether malaria has been confirmed
- The severity of the illness
- The patient’s age
- Pregnancy status
- Previous medicines
- Local treatment guidelines
- Drug-resistance patterns
- Whether complications are present
Uncomplicated malaria and severe malaria require different approaches.
Do not treat severe symptoms at home.
Do not use leftover antimalarial medication from a previous illness, share medication with another person, or assume that a medicine that worked previously is appropriate for every future episode.
A qualified healthcare professional should determine the appropriate treatment.
How to prevent malaria in Ghana
Prevention is one of the most powerful ways families can reduce malaria risk.
1. Sleep under an insecticide-treated mosquito net.
Use an insecticide-treated net consistently, especially for children and other people at increased risk.
The net should be properly positioned and maintained according to manufacturer and public-health guidance.
2. Reduce mosquito breeding areas
Mosquitoes can breed in stagnant water.
Around the home, look for containers that collect rainwater, blocked drains, and other places where water remains stagnant.
Community-level environmental sanitation is also important.
3. Use appropriate mosquito-control measures.
Depending on local public health recommendations, measures can include:
- Indoor residual spraying
- Insecticide-treated nets
- Properly fitted window screens
- Closing doors and windows where practical
- Appropriate mosquito repellents
4. Seek testing when you develop symptoms.
Instead of automatically taking antimalarial medicine whenever you have a fever, seek appropriate testing.
This can prevent unnecessary medication use and help identify other illnesses.
5. Protect children
Children should sleep under appropriate mosquito nets consistently.
Parents should also seek medical attention quickly when a child develops fever or becomes unusually weak or ill.
6. Follow antenatal malaria-prevention advice.
Pregnant women should attend antenatal care and follow the preventive measures recommended by their healthcare team.
Malaria and climate/environment
Environmental conditions influence mosquito populations.
Rainfall, temperature, stagnant water, and housing conditions can influence mosquito breeding and exposure.
This is why malaria prevention is not only an individual responsibility.
Communities, local authorities, and health services all have roles to play.
Malaria myths people should stop believing
Myth 1: Every fever is malaria.
False.
Fever can have many causes.
Myth 2: If you take malaria medicine, you don’t need a test.
Not necessarily.
Testing can help establish whether malaria is actually present.
Myth 3: Malaria only affects children
False.
Adults can develop malaria too.
Myth 4: Once you have had malaria, you cannot get it again.
False.
A previous infection does not guarantee lifelong protection.
Myth 5: Herbal remedies automatically cure malaria
There is no reason to assume that every herbal preparation can safely or effectively treat malaria.
People with suspected malaria should seek appropriate medical assessment and treatment.
When is malaria an emergency?
Seek urgent medical care when someone with suspected malaria develops severe symptoms such as:
- Confusion
- Loss of consciousness
- Seizures
- Difficulty breathing
- Extreme weakness
- Persistent vomiting
- Inability to drink
- Severe dehydration
- Collapse
- Severe jaundice
- Very high or persistent fever
- Other rapidly worsening symptoms
Severe malaria can become life-threatening.
Do not wait for symptoms to “settle by themselves.”
Practical malaria-prevention checklist for Ghanaian families
Every night:
- Use an insecticide-treated mosquito net.
- Ensure children sleep under the net.
- Reduce mosquito exposure around sleeping areas.
Every week:
- Inspect areas around the house for stagnant water.
- Empty water-holding containers where appropriate.
- Check drainage areas.
When someone develops a fever:
- Do not automatically assume malaria.
- Seek appropriate testing.
- Follow healthcare advice.
- Watch carefully for worsening symptoms.
During pregnancy:
- Attend antenatal care.
- Follow recommended malaria-prevention measures.
- Report fever promptly.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can malaria go away without treatment?
Some malaria infections may temporarily improve, but relying on symptoms to disappear is unsafe. Malaria can progress to severe disease. Suspected malaria should be appropriately assessed.
2. Can you get malaria twice?
Yes. A person can experience malaria more than once.
3. Is malaria contagious?
Malaria is not normally spread directly from one person to another like a common cold. The usual route is through infected mosquitoes, although rare transmission routes can occur, such as contaminated blood or mother-to-child transmission.
4. Can malaria cause weakness?
Yes. Fever, inflammation, and changes affecting red blood cells can contribute to significant weakness and fatigue.
5. Can malaria cause anemia?
Yes. Malaria can contribute to anemia, particularly when infections are repeated or severe.
6. Should I take malaria medicine whenever I have a fever?
No. Fever has many possible causes. Appropriate testing and medical advice are preferable.
7. Can a mosquito net really prevent malaria?
Insecticide-treated mosquito nets are an important malaria-control intervention. Ghana Health Service actively promotes sleeping under treated nets as part of malaria prevention.
8. Is malaria dangerous during pregnancy?
It can be. Pregnant women should take malaria prevention seriously and seek prompt professional care when symptoms develop.
9. Can malaria cause death?
Yes. Severe malaria can be life-threatening, particularly when treatment is delayed.
10. What is the best way to prevent malaria?
No single action provides perfect protection. Combining mosquito-control measures, appropriate prevention, environmental management, testing, and prompt treatment provides stronger protection.
Conclusion
Malaria remains a major health challenge in Ghana and across Africa, but it is also a disease against which individuals, families, communities, and health systems can take meaningful action.
Sleeping under insecticide-treated mosquito nets, reducing mosquito breeding sites, following public-health recommendations, attending antenatal care, testing suspected malaria, and seeking treatment promptly can all contribute to reducing illness.
Ghana has made measurable progress in malaria control, but continued vigilance remains necessary. WHO’s work with Ghana includes malaria program reviews, risk stratification, and support toward malaria elimination.
Call to Action
Don’t wait until malaria becomes severe.
If you or someone in your household develops a fever or other symptoms that could indicate malaria, visit a qualified healthcare facility for appropriate assessment and testing.
At home, make malaria prevention part of your everyday routine: sleep under a treated mosquito net, reduce mosquito breeding areas, and protect vulnerable members of your family.