{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,9,3]],"date-time":"2025-09-03T10:34:15Z","timestamp":1756895655666,"version":"3.40.5"},"reference-count":13,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,6]],"date-time":"2024-02-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1707177600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/publicdomain\/zero\/1.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Global efforts over the years have resulted in a 27% reduction in malaria incidence and an estimated 51% reduction in malaria mortality since 2000. Meanwhile, COVID-19 pandemic disrupted provision and utilization of malaria services, leading to a surge in malaria incidence and mortality. Globally, 627000 malaria deaths were recorded in 2020, representing about 69000 more deaths compared to 2019. Also, 14 million more cases of malaria were recorded in 2020 compared to 2019. This study sought to determine whether excess malaria deaths were recorded in Ghana during the COVID-19 pandemic era.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>This was a descriptive study on routine malaria mortality data in Ghana for the period 2016 to 2021. Data was retrieved from the District Health Information Management System using a data extraction guide. Excess mortality was defined as occurrence of malaria deaths more than expected value for the period 2020 and 2021. The expected number of mortalities for 2020 and 2021 were determined using 2016 to 2019 average. Excess mortality (P-score) was estimated using the formula: [(reported mortalities\u2013expected mortalities)\/expected mortalities X 100%]. Data were summarized and processed in Microsoft excel version 16.0. Malaria mortality in Ghana and its regions was described using tables and line graphs.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>An average of 535 malaria deaths per year were recorded nationwide from 2016 to 2020. About 50% (1603\/3207) of deaths occurred in children aged less than five years. The p-scores for the country were -53% and -58% for 2020 and 2021 respectively. No region recorded excess all-age malaria mortality in 2020, rather significant reduction. Stratified by age, Greater Accra region reported 90% higher than expected deaths among persons aged five years and above in 2020 (p-score = 90%, 95% CI: 21\u2013159). All regions reported reduction in under-five mortality in 2020. No significant excess malaria mortalities were reported among the regions in 2021.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Although negative p-scores suggested a decline in malaria mortalities nationwide, some regions recorded excess deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic era. There is a need to integrate COVID-19 control activities with malaria control and prevention efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on malaria case management and mortality.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0286212","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,6]],"date-time":"2024-02-06T18:35:03Z","timestamp":1707244503000},"page":"e0286212","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["A retrospective analysis of malaria deaths in the pre- and intra- COVID 19 pandemic era, Ghana, 2016\u20132021"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"19","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0190-0820","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Keziah L.","family":"Malm","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nana Yaw","family":"Peprah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wahjib","family":"Mohammed","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Boakye-Yiadom","family":"Adomako","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5581-4613","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Samuel","family":"Oppong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Paul","family":"Boateng","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8412-7954","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"George Asumah","family":"Adu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Dora","family":"Dadzie","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Grace","family":"Adza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ivy","family":"Forson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"James","family":"Frimpong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,6]]},"reference":[{"journal-title":"Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.","year":"2020","author":"World Health Organization","key":"pone.0286212.ref001"},{"journal-title":"More malaria cases and deaths in 2020 linked to COVID-19 disruptions","year":"2021","author":"World Health Organization","key":"pone.0286212.ref002"},{"key":"pone.0286212.ref003","first-page":"1","article-title":"The trend of Health Service utilization and challenges faced during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Primary units in Addis Ababa: Amixed-methods study.","author":"T. Shimels","year":"2021","journal-title":"Health Services research and managerial epidemiology"},{"key":"pone.0286212.ref004","first-page":"1","article-title":"Malaria incidence and mortality in Zimbabwe during the COVID \u2011 19 pandemic: analysis of routine surveillance data.","author":"S Gavi","year":"2021","journal-title":"Malar J."},{"key":"pone.0286212.ref005","first-page":"1","article-title":"Impact of the COVID \u2011 19 pandemic on malaria cases in health facilities in northern Ghana: a retrospective analysis of routine surveillance data.","author":"AK Heuschen","year":"2022","journal-title":"Malar J."},{"issue":"00","key":"pone.0286212.ref006","article-title":"Towards malaria control and elimination in Ghana: challenges and decision-making tools to guide planning.","volume":"10","author":"T Awine","year":"2017","journal-title":"Global Health Action"},{"journal-title":"Malaria Admissions Reports. Ghana","year":"2022","author":"Ghana Health Information Management System","key":"pone.0286212.ref007"},{"key":"pone.0286212.ref008","first-page":"1","article-title":"Malaria and COVID \u2011 19: unmasking their ties.","author":"M Ismail","year":"2020","journal-title":"Malar J."},{"key":"pone.0286212.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1411","DOI":"10.1038\/s41591-020-1025-y","article-title":"The potential public health consequences of COVID-19 on malaria in Africa","volume":"26","author":"E. Sherrard-Smith","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nat Med"},{"journal-title":"Ghana 2021 Population and Housing Census","year":"2021","author":"Ghana Statistical Service","key":"pone.0286212.ref010"},{"key":"pone.0286212.ref011","first-page":"1","article-title":"public health \u2011 relevant consequences of the COVID \u2011 19 pandemic on malaria in sub \u2011 Saharan Africa: a scoping review.","author":"AK Heuschen","year":"2021","journal-title":"Malar J."},{"journal-title":"COVID-19 significantly impacts health service for noncommunicable diseases","year":"2020","author":"World Health Organization","key":"pone.0286212.ref012"},{"issue":"10","key":"pone.0286212.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e0275976","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0275976","article-title":"The impact of COVID-19 on implementation of mass testing, treatment and tracking of malaria in rural communities in Ghana: A qualitative study.","volume":"17","author":"NI Cheng","year":"2022","journal-title":"PLOS ONE."}],"container-title":["PLOS ONE"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0286212","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,6]],"date-time":"2024-02-06T18:35:17Z","timestamp":1707244517000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0286212"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Gifty Dufie","family":"Ampofo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,6]]},"references-count":13,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,6]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0286212","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"type":"electronic","value":"1932-6203"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,6]]}}}