Akufo-Addo’s wife leads malaria fight

Rebecca Akufo-Addo, wife of the main opposition New Patriotic Party’s flag bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, is leading a national campaign against malaria.

As part of her anti-malaria campaign, the Chairperson of NGO Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation is leading a fund raising campaign next month.

Infanta’s vision to kick malaria out of the country is driven by the thousands of deaths recorded every year as a result of disease.

The group is organising a “Night of Classical Music” to raise funds for malaria intervention projects on the 13th February 2015 at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons. Several world-acclaimed musicians are expected to perform on the night.

Funds from the event will be used for the construction of a Community Health Planning Systems (CHPS) Clinic at a cost of $50,000 at Adenkrebi, close to Aburi in the Eastern Region.

Infanta, has already built a CHPS Clinic in the Brong Ahafo region, which has helped to reduce the rate of infant mortality from 50 per 1000 to 17 per 1000.

Apart from the CHPS health posts, the NGO has also embarked on rigorous distribution of insecticide treated nets across the nation, invested in larvicide spraying of communities, and enabled testing, treatment and education on malaria prevention and treatment across Ghana, especially in remote rural areas.

A report published last year about the President’s Malaria Initiative; Malaria Operational Plan FY 2014 for Ghana states that: “Ghana’s entire population is at risk of malaria infection, but children under five years of age and pregnant women are at higher risk of severe illness due to lowered immunity”.

A Ghana Health Service (GHS) health facility data in the report also disclosed that malaria is the number one cause of morbidity and mortality in children under-five.

Malaria accounts for 33% of hospital deaths in children under-five and about 38% of all outpatient illnesses and 36% of all admissions.

Between 3.1 and 3.5 million annual cases of clinical malaria are reported in public health facilities, of which 900,000 cases are in children under-five and 3,000-4,000 result in inpatient deaths.