Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF), in partnership with the Ghana Health Service (Tarkwa), has joined the world to celebrate 2024 World Malaria Day at Tarkwa Senior High School, in the Western Region. The celebration was on the theme: “health equity, gender and human rights”.
The occasion was used to educate the students on malaria and its prevention, demonstration of the usage of mosquito net and repellents, distribution of boxes of mosquito nets as well as presentation of 1,000 pieces of repellent. An inter-house quiz competition was also organized amongst the students.
Abdel-Razak Yakubu, Executive Secretary of Gold Fields Ghana Foundation, noted that statistics on malaria was not encouraging. He, however, conceded that though a lot of impact has been made in the sector, there is more that needs to be done by stakeholders. As a result, awareness creation needs to continue so that the country does not lose its human resource.
“At Gold Fields, health is of much importance, as it can affect your physical mental and emotional well-being. That is why we need to take steps to prevent certain diseases, hence the need to invest in this programme”, he said.
Since its inception, the Foundation has spent $6.2 million under the health sector to promote effective and efficient healthcare delivery. He encouraged the students to apply the mosquito repellent donated by the Foundation to help in the prevention of malaria.
Clement Amankwah, Western Region Malaria Focal Person said a lot has been done on awareness creation over the year, but currently the focus was on elimination, which was the best way to go.
He stressed that children under five years, pregnant women and people with weak immune system stand a high risk of getting malaria. He added that “pregnant women diagnosed of malaria stand a high risk of getting pre-term babies, miscarriage and underweight babies among others,” he said.
He said there has been a significant reduction in malaria cases in the region. Four malaria deaths were recorded in 2023, as compared to higher figures in previous years.
Wilhelmina Tiwaah Duah, Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Health Director, on her part, mentioned that malaria remains in the top 10 OPD attendance in the region.
However, in Tarkwa Nsuaem, there’s been a strong commitment toward elimination through the combined effort of stakeholders.
This is evident in the notable reductions in key malaria indicators, indicative of the impactful interventions and collaborative efforts underway.
“OPD malaria cases decreased from 12,156 in the first quarter of 2023 to 11,631 in the first quarter of 2024. Malaria admissions of children under the age of five also declined from 3.6% to 3.2%. Malaria in pregnancy has notably declined from 543 to 255 in the same period. Malaria burden index has seen a substantial decrease from 53,879 to 49,987”, she explained.
Wilhelmina Tiwaah Duah said despite significant progress in recent years, the burden of malaria still weighs heavily on communities, affecting the health and well-being of the people, especially the most vulnerable.
“Achieving health equity lies at the heart of our efforts to eliminate malaria. It requires that every individual, regardless of their socio-economic status or geographic location, has access to the tools and interventions needed to prevent, diagnose, and treat malaria effectively.
“It demands that we address the underlying factors that perpetuate health disparities, such as poverty, lack of education, and inadequate healthcare infrastructure,” she said.
The Tarkwa Municipal Health Director urged students of Tarkwa Senior High School to become ambassadors for malaria prevention and control in their communities.
“Your energy, creativity and passion are invaluable assets in this fight. By raising awareness, promoting healthy behaviors and advocating for change, you have the power to make a tangible difference in the lives of those around you”, she concluded.
