The Anglican Diocesan Development and Relief Organization (ADDRO), with its partners Comic Relief, Episcopal Relief and Development and Against Malaria Foundation (AMF) has recruited and trained 3,638 volunteers in districts across three regions in Ghana to provide health education to household members on malaria.
At the commemoration of the 2018 World Malaria Day at Nangodi in the Nabdam district of the Upper East Region on Wednesday, Head of programmes at ADDRO, George Dam Laar, said throughout the world, malaria is one of the topmost diseases that claim human lives, with pregnant women and children under five years being the most vulnerable.
“With the quality outcome being achieved, ADDRO and partners are privileged to join the global community to commemorate the Word Malaria Day, a day instituted by the World Health Assembly for recognizing the global effort to provide effective control of malaria”.
Mr. Laar hinted during his speech, that from 2018 to 2021, ADDRO will implement an integrated Early Childhood Development (iECD) programme aimed at contributing to the healthy growth, development, and survival of children from conception to age three.
The Nabdam District Chief Executive (DCE), Agnes Anamoo, who was present at the event said Malaria is an issue of public health concern which calls for a multi-sectorial approach in the fight against it.
“Renewed efforts are therefore required to enhance malaria prevention as a critical means of closing the gap to ending this endemic”.
She was very confident that ending malaria is achievable if we all play our individual and collective roles.
Meanwhile, the acting Nabdam district health director, Meiri Seidu, in her speech gave some statistics of Malaria cases in her district. According to Mrs.Seidu, for the past three years (2015, 2016 and 2017) Malaria cases had remained high among total OPD cases. In 2015, Malaria cases reported in health facilities were 20,906 representing 27% of all OPD cases and in 2016, Malaria cases were 33,668 representing 28% of all OPD cases. Malaria cases in 2017 were 31,983 representing 45.1% of all OPD cases.
She further stated that even though funding for Malaria prevention and control has declined as compared to past years, there is the need for more innovative and localized solution to renew focus on fight against the disease.
Meiri Seidu thanked ADDRO especially, for their intervention and commitment to fight Malaria in the Nabdam district.
Ngamegbulam Chidozie Stephen|A1radioonline.com|Ghana
