Forum on roll back malaria at Effiduase

A day's forum for stakeholders on roll back malaria has taken place at Asante-Effiduasi as a follow-up to an earlier one held for districts in Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions in Sunyani.

Addressing the forum, Dr George Mensah, District Director of Health Services, described malaria as a dangerous disease, which should not be treated lightly, saying, it has been the major cause of death and sickness in most cases. He said malaria accounts for over 40 per cent of all outpatients seen at health facilities and 25 per cent of deaths among children under five years. Dr Mensah said in the Ashanti region, malaria accounted for 41 per cent of all cases seen in 1998 and in 1999, the figure rose to 42.9 per cent. In the Sekyere East district, the disease accounted for over 57 and 60 per cent of all the out-patient-department cases between 1995 and 1997. Dr Mensah said the best way of addressing the problem is prevention. To this end, the Ministry of Health has introduced the knapsack sprayer and chemicals and the mosquito bed nets to combat the spread of the disease.