Malaria Causes Most Deaths in Infants And Pregnant Women

Ms Aba Baffoe-Wilmot, Principal Medical Entomologist Disease control Unit, Ghana Health Services on Friday noted that, most deaths that occur among pregnant women and infants under the age of five are caused by malaria.

She said however that the fact that this group is the most affected does not indicate that the others are free. Everybody is vulnerable if efficient strategies are not taken to prevent malaria.

Ms Baffoe-Wilmot was speaking at the launch of a Community Sanitation and Malaria Eradication programme in Accra - a collaborative effort of Vibe FM, an Accra based FM station and Vrtex, a pest and insect control company.

She said about 40 per cent of people at the Out Patient Department of most hospitals are suffering from malaria and advocated for a pro-active approach to reduce the spate of malaria infections in the country.

Dr. Mustapha Ahmed, NDC Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East, said the disease that has an ailing effect and with its subsequent death poses a threat to the growth of national economy.

He said, parliament has passed a bill to exempt taxation on malaria insecticide nets, to make them more affordable to all.

Dr. Mustapha called on all stakeholders and health institutions to join hands in the eradication programme which would be extended to all the regions soon. He said he believes that if factors that contribute to malaria parasites are properly checked, some headway will be made in national development.

Mr. Mike Cooke, Managing Director of Vibe FM, announced that Accra has been selected as the pilot region and said activities would commence in May this year. La and its surrounding areas have been chosen to first benefit from the programme.

With the support of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Disease and Control/Department of Ministry of Health, a Malaria Hit Squad made up of 1000 volunteers is being recruited by Vibe FM to help execute the programme.

Mr. Cooke said, "this project will involve, public education of sanitation and malaria control using print and electronic media, youth and community involvement in district clean up and control programme, mass fumigation and clearing of stagnant water in prone areas and close monitoring of breeding patterns to provide us with the necessary data to make seasonal intervention."