Malaria Awareness Workshop Ends At Yendi

Yendi (Northern Region), 13 Oct. Dr Kofi Issah, Medical Officer of the Yendi government hospital, has urged health workers to help the people to know the symptoms of malaria and how to treat it. The most important thing about malaria ''is the prompt diagnosis and effecting correct treatment,'' Dr Issah told the closing session of a three-day malaria awareness workshop for 35 dispensary technicians drawn from seven zones of the Yendi district. The World Health Organization-sponsored workshop discussed a WHO training guide for district health workers on malaria control in Tropical Africa. Dr Issah said when complications are suspected, malaria cases should be treated as emergencies, and that patients who do not respond to anti-malaria treatment should be referred to competent hospitals for treatment. Dr Issah said malaria accounted for over 45 per cent of all out- patient attendance with seven per cent of deaths in most of the health institutions. He therefore called on all health workers, assembly members and chiefs to ensure that their communities keep their environments clean. Mr Anthony Amalba, a pharmacist of the Yendi government hospital, stressed the need for the training of human resources for the health sector. He said the prevention of infection and not just treating the disease is essential to protect pregnant women and children from life- threatening attacks of acute malaria. He appealed to pregnant women and babies to use mosquito nets to prevent malaria. A similar workshop will be organised for chemical sellers, traditional birth attendants and community health workers to assist in creating malaria awareness among the various communities.