The Ghana Education Service (GES) has described the nationwide school-based distribution of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and malaria vaccines as a strategic investment in Ghana's children, urging families to ensure every net is used consistently.

Speaking at a joint Ghana Health Service (GHS) and GES briefing on malaria interventions, the National Coordinator of the School Health Education Programme (SHEP), Theresa Oppong Mensah, said good health and quality education go hand in hand.

"At the Ghana Education Service, we firmly believe that education and health are inseparable. A child battling with malaria cannot learn effectively," she said.

Mrs Oppong Mensah said repeated malaria infections contribute to school absenteeism, poor concentration, lower academic performance and increased financial pressure on families.

She said schools provide an effective platform not only for distributing insecticide-treated nets but also for promoting healthy practices among pupils, their families and surrounding communities.

According to her, the success of the campaign should be measured not by the number of nets distributed but by how many children sleep under them every night.

"The true measure of our success will not be the number of nets given out, but the number of children who sleep under the net every single night," she said.

Mrs Oppong Mensah said teachers have a key role in educating pupils about the importance of malaria vaccination and the proper installation and use of insecticide-treated nets, while reinforcing the need for consistent use.

She also appealed to parents and caregivers to air the nets under shade for at least 48 hours before hanging them over their children's sleeping spaces and ensuring they are used every night.

She cautioned against using the nets for purposes other than malaria prevention.

"These ITNs are intended solely to protect people from malaria. They are not for fencing gardens, not for protecting crops, not for fishing, not for drying food items. Every net that is diverted from its intended use leaves a child vulnerable to malaria," she said.

GES also called on regional, metropolitan, municipal and district education directors, health teachers, School Management Committees (SMCs), Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), traditional and religious leaders, community leaders and the media to support public education on proper net use, care and malaria vaccination.

"As we continue these national interventions, let us remember that every net represents hope. Every vaccine also represents hope," Mrs Oppong Mensah said.