Berekum Hospital Registers 16 Malaria Deaths

Jinijini (Brong Ahafo), 8 Oct.,

Sixteen deaths resulting from malaria, have been recorded at the Berekum Holy Family Hospital this year, the Berekum District Medical Director, Dr. Anthony Ofosu, has announced. He said children under five years, accounted for 70 per cent of the deaths. Dr. Ofosu disclosed this when he launched this year's 'Malaria Awareness Week' in the district at Jinijini. He said the disease is the number one cause of out-patient department (OPD) attendance in the district. He said 14,220 patients were admitted at the hospital last year while 5,857 patients have, as at June this year, been admitted. Dr. Ofosu said malaria imposes a major social and economic burden on developing countries. He disclosed that apart from the estimated cost of the disease to Africa both direct and indirect standing at 2.0 billion dollars annually, two million people die from the disease world-wide over the same period. Africa, he said, accounts for 90 per cent of malaria cases.