GHS Dismisses Viral Claims on School Mosquito Nets
The Ghana Health Service has dismissed a video circulating on social media claiming that insecticide-treated nets being distributed to primary school children contain dangerous chemicals harmful to human health, describing the claims as false and without scientific or regulatory basis.
In a statement issued on Friday, GHS said the nets in question are Interceptor G2, a WHO-approved Long-Lasting Insecticidal Net manufactured to international standards and selected for Ghana’s national malaria elimination programme.
The Service explained that the net contains two insecticidal compounds, chlorfenapyr and alpha-cypermethrin, which have been used safely in public health programmes worldwide for many years and are well known to health and regulatory authorities.
According to GHS, every insecticide-treated net approved for use in Ghana or recommended by the World Health Organisation undergoes thorough safety testing covering all groups, including children, pregnant women and infants. Interceptor G2 has received full WHO Prequalification Ref 002-002 and approval from Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority.
On concerns about respiratory risk, the Service said the compounds have extremely low vapour pressure, meaning they do not lift into the air as dust, smoke or aerosol and remain stable.
A person sleeping under the net therefore breathes normal air, not insecticide. GHS noted that ITNs have been used across Ghana and sub-Saharan Africa for decades without a single documented case of respiratory illness linked to proper use.
The Health Service is urging parents, caregivers and communities not to discard, return or refuse the nets, stressing that they protect children from malaria, which remains a leading cause of childhood illness and death in the country.
GHS advised that newly received nets be aired in a shaded, well-ventilated space for up to 48 hours before first use to clear any mild new-net smell, and called on the public to refrain from sharing unverified health claims which cause unnecessary fear.
Anyone with questions or unusual reactions has been asked to contact the nearest health facility.
The Ministry of Health and Ghana Health Service reaffirmed their commitment to the safety and well-being of every Ghanaian, adding that every net distributed has been tested, approved and verified as safe before reaching homes.
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