Tamale, April 28, GNA - The Northern Regional Director of Health Services (RDHS) has trained over 3,756 community based agents and 64 service providers under its programmes of Home Management of Malaria and the Integrated Management of Childhood illness (IMCI). Dr Akwasi Twumasi, Northern Regional Director of Health Services announced this in an address read for him at this years "World Malaria Day" in Tamale at the weekend.

The occasion which had as its theme: "Counting out Malaria through Community Action", was organized by the Christian Children's Fund of Canada (CCFC) in collaboration with its local partners and the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

Dr Twumasi said malaria accounted for 38.6 percent of Out-Patient Department (OPD) attendance and 18 percent of deaths reported in health institutions in the Region. He said for instance in 2007 the Region recorded 332,959 cases at the OPD and 20,393 cases of admission with 532 recorded deaths as a result of malaria.

He said in line with the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Ghana was implementing a malaria control strategy that involved multi and inter-sectoral partnership working on an agreed plan to reduce deaths due to malaria.

Dr. Twumasi said over 20 million people in the country were exposed to malaria infection, adding that it was the biggest killer and largest contributor to the disease burden in Ghana. On the Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) for pregnant women, he said in 2007, only 39 percent of women in the Region took the required three doses and attributed the low turn out of women for the medicine and also the irregular attendance of most pregnant women for antenatal services.

He entreated pregnant women to patronize antenatal services as soon as they became pregnant and also endeavour to attend the clinic at least four times before delivery.

Dr. Twumasi said the GHS in collaboration with UNICEF and WHO had been distributing Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets (ITN) to pregnant women, but noted with regret that instead of using the nets to protect themselves, majority of women in the rural areas were rather keeping them to display during the naming ceremony of their new born babies. Madam Sanatu Nantogma, Country Director of the CCFC commended government for its sanitation programme and stressed the need for government to also promote behaviour change initiatives, to bring about sustainable solutions to the menace of malaria.