Kuffour's mother joins Malaria-free Ghana campaign

Accra, Sep. 15, GNA - The use sports as a tool in the 'Campaign Against Malaria Eradication' has continued to catch the hearts of mothers of Black Stars players and some veteran sports men with the mother of former Ghanaian Black Stars defender, Samuel Osei Kuffuor, Mrs Gloria Osei Kuffuor being named as Ambassador to join the campaign. The programme, being championed by Add Your Voice Now, a Non-Governmental Organization aims at making Ghana a malaria-free country by the year 2015.

Some of the players of the Stars whose mothers have so far been involved in the campaign include Stephen Appiah, Sulley Ali Muntari, Eric Bekoe, John Mensah and Harrison Afful.

Mrs Osei Kuffuor said the future of Ghanaian children was of paramount importance who when given the necessary car have the chance to become important personalities in the country, as well as take up sporting activities such as football.

She appealed to nursing mothers to seek early treatment for their children whenever they detect they have the disease and have a temperature.

Miss Victoria Minyila Dons, Deputy Director of Nursing Services of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital said the disease if not treated early might affect the brain and cause a lot of disorders. She therefore advised pregnant women to make use of treated mosquito nets to be safe from the disease.

Mr Kwabena Osei Bonsu, Executive Director of Add Your Voice Now said reports from the WHO indicates every 30 seconds a child under five years dies, in every one minute while two persons die with 1,51,200 children dying every year worldwide.

He expressed the hope that with the engagement of the mothers of the football players, their messages would go a long way in helping to drive home the message faster as others parents would be too eager to share in their experiences on how they managed to prevent their sons from catching the disease.