GRI Newsreel 3 All Must Join In Fight Against Malaria - Health Official

Axim (Western Region), 15 Oct. The Nzema East District Director of Medical Services, Dr. Godwin Yao Afenyadu, has stressed that the fight against malaria calls for collaborative efforts of all Ghanaians. Speaking at the launching of this year's "Malaria Awareness Week" in the Western Region at Axim yesterday, Dr. Afenyadu disclosed that 36 per cent of deaths recorded in the hospitals are due to complications of malaria. The disease, he said, accounts for 35 per cent of out-patient attendance and 23 per cent of admissions. He said although the disease is a major cause of ill-health in the country and has a negative socio-economic impact on the economy in terms of loss of man-hours and school attendance, many people take it for granted. Dr. Afenyadu announced that the Ministry of Health (MOH) has drawn up an accelerated malaria control programme to help reduce malaria- related deaths and particularly to reduce malaria sickness and its duration. The Nzema East District Chief Executive, Mr. J. R. D. Kobinah said it is by maintaining clean environment and reducing breeding grounds of mosquitoes that malaria can be controlled and help achieve the government's objective of health for all by the year 2000. In an address read for him, Mr. Kobinah said information from the District Health Services indicates that malaria is the top cause of out-patient attendance at hospital. He said due to the negative socio-economic impact of malaria, the government in collaboration with the MOH has set aside a whole week to create public awareness of 'this dangerous disease' and intensify its control efforts. He called on the assembly members to educate the people on the need to prevent malaria and accept the fact that the disease is caused by mosquitoes.