The Ghana Health Service (GHS) has moved to calm fears among parents, saying the insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) being distributed to primary school children are not poisonous and pose no danger to human health.
The assurance follows a video circulating on social media, claiming that the nets contain harmful chemicals.
In a statement issued on Friday, June 26, 2026, and signed by Director-General Dr. Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, the GHS described the claims as “false, misleading, and without any scientific or regulatory basis.”
The Service said the net in question is the Interceptor® G2, a WHO-approved Long-Lasting Insecticidal Net used in Ghana’s malaria elimination campaign. It contains chlorfenapyr and alpha-cypermethrin, two insecticides that the GHS said have been used safely in public health programmes for years.
According to the GHS, Interceptor® G2 has full WHO Prequalification (Ref: 002-002) and approval from Ghana’s Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).
The Service explained that the chemicals have very low vapour pressure and do not become airborne. “A person sleeping under this net breathes normal air, not insecticide,” the release stated.
The GHS added that there has been no documented case of respiratory illness linked to ITNs in Ghana or sub-Saharan Africa.
The service is urging parents and caregivers to use the nets and not throw them away, noting that malaria remains a leading cause of illness and death in children.
It also advised that new nets should be aired in a shaded, ventilated space for up to 48 hours before first use to clear any new-net smell.
The GHS further cautioned the public against sharing unverified health claims, saying such misinformation spreads fear and puts children at risk.
Parents with concerns have been asked to contact the nearest health facility.
The Ministry of Health and GHS reaffirmed that every net distributed “has been tested, approved, and verified as safe before it reaches your home.”
