Prampram (GAR), July 3, GNA - The National under 17 male soccer team, the Black Starlets and their female counterparts, the Black Maidens, have joined the malaria-free Ghana campaign, which is championing the use of Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs).

The campaign, which was started by the Black Stars, is led by Mr Oti Aketeng, Technical Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and Manager of the Ghanaman Soccer Centre at Prampram in the Greater Accra Region.

The Black Starlets and Black Maidens have therefore joined the ambassadors of the nation in the United Against Malaria (UAM) campaign that uses football to promote effective prevention and treatment of malaria. Mr Aketeng and Mr Frimpong Manso, Coach of the Starlets were of the view that malaria attack on a player or a technical handler could often throw the preparations of any team off balance hence the need to stop the devastating impact of the disease. Studies in Ghana had shown that malaria attack deprives pupils of four learning days.

"The participation of the Starlets and the Maidens in the fight against malaria will motivate their peers to maintain effective malaria prevention behaviours such as the regular use of insecticide treated bed nets," Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey, Country Director of the Johns Hopkins University Centre for Communication Programmes, Voices for a Malaria-free Future Project, said when he presented long lasting insecticide treated nets to the two teams at the Ghanaman Football Centre at Prampram. Accepting the donation Mr Aketeng expressed his joy at having the nets at during the rainy season.

He remarked that, the UAM campaign should not forget administrators, referees and coaches in the malaria prevention activities as they also need to be malaria-free to effectively manage the players. Recalling the enthusiasm that the players and management of the GFA have demonstrated towards malaria control in Ghana, especially in the run-up to the South Africa World Cup, Mr Fiagbey called on the national under 17 players to exhibit same aptitude by ensuring that they use the nets and encourage their peers to do the same. He said the ITNs, which are deemed to be the cheapest yet the most effective and safest preventive tool against malaria would ensure that all players remain ever safe from malaria. He commended the management of Vestergaard Frandsen and Sumitomo Ghana which provided the nets to the teams.

Master Seidu Shaibu Zida, Skipper of the Black Starlets said he had suffered several bouts of malaria in the past, with intense dizziness that affected his performance. Miss Beatrice Sasu, Captain of the Black Maidens also admitted to having had the disease few months ago, which made her feel really bad and unable to play. She said she has heard so much about the usefulness of ITNs and vows to make herself and her team mates use it to forestall any future malaria attacks.

As Beatrice leads the Black Maidens squad in to battle for the Under 17 World Cup in Trinidad and Tobago later in the year, she promises to dedicate every goal of the team to the GFA-UAM partnership to defeat malaria. The Black Starlets have an engagement on August 28, against their Ugandan counterparts as part of their qualification for the Under 17 World Cup expected to be held in Mexico next year and hopes to use the opportunity to promote the UAM Campaign. 3 July 10