Malaria Safe awards held in Takoradi

Takoradi, Dec. 2, – The country has recorded 4.6 million malaria cases at the various Out-Patient Department from January to June this year, representing a 7.6 per cent decrease over reported cases during the same period in 2016.

The number of admissions also reduced from 176,930 last year to 145,986 in 2017 as well as deaths toll reducing from 696 in 2016 half year to 266 in the same period in 2017 representing a percentage decrease of 17.5 percent and 62 percent in admissions and deaths respectively.

Dr Kezia Malm, Acting National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) Manager at the maiden “Malaria Safe” award at Takoradi said in recognition to the tremendous commitment and efforts at fighting the disease, the NMCP and its partners would continue to provide the relevant guidance regarding malaria control policies and interventions.

The Malaria Safe, is an initiative led by the Private Sector malaria Prevention project of the Johns Hopkins Centre for Communication programmes, funded by the Uk’s DFID to help businesses tackle malaria as a serious workplace issue which must be promptly dealt with in increasing productivity and growth.

Dr Malm said the private sector was key in the project since they employed a chunk of Ghana’s population, “Therefore, if we can get the private sector to lead or at the minimum support in the efforts of making their working force malaria free, then it means we have won the battle for a huge proportion of the Ghanaian population”.

The NMCP Manager said malaria was a disease that affected millions of Ghanaians and in this year alone, an average of 25,140 suspected cases were recorded daily making it a critical public health issue.

“Studies have shown that 30 days of work in the year was lost to malaria. The disease continue to have severe socio-economic impact on families and a cause to household poverty therefore, eliminating malaria is not a one man’s task neither is it for one institution but a collaborative efforts by all sectors”, she added.

Mr  Felix Nyarnor Fosu, Chief of party, Private Sector Malaria Programme said the project was supporting the NMCP to among other things to invigorate private sector contributions to malaria control through institutional sales of insecticide treated nets and boost domestic resources mobilisation for malaria prevention through increased advocacy.

He said the awards was therefore to recognize the contributions of companies which had contributed immensely to prevent malaria and its effects on their employees and dependents and their host communities.

The Chief of Party said the awards categorized into special malaria safe awards and malaria control activities recognition was to showcase the commitment made by some companies in the western region and the need for more companies to support the project.

The special awards went to Anglogold Ashanti iduapriem gold mine, Golden Star resources limited, Zeal Environmental Technologies, Benso Oil Palm Plantation Limited and Norplan, whiles Goldfields Ghana Limited, Ghana Rubber Estates limited, Samatex, ENI Ghana limited and persus Mining Ghana limited were recognised for their malaria control activities.

Dr Kwaku Afriyie, the Western Regional Minister pledged the regional coordinating council’s (RCC) support to ensure that the project was a success in the Region.

GNA