The malaria-related ailments seen at Out Patients Department (OPD) and deaths in Prestea-Huni Valley Municipal health facilities in the Western Region, have decreased significantly over the last five years.
The statistics showed a trend indicating that in 2019, 52,872(44 percent) OPD cases were recorded, 2020,45,746,(36 percent) and 2021, 59,241(31 percent).
Again, incidence rate on new cases indicated a decrease from 44.2 percent in 2019, 36 percent in 2020 and 30 percent in 2021.
The Prestea-Huni Valley Municipal Director of Health, Mr Joseph Kwame Sampson, revealed these on Monday at the World Malaria Day organised by Gold Fields Ghana Foundation and Ghana Health Service at Huni Valley on the theme ‘Using innovations to control malaria.’
As part of the celebration, 300 pregnant women and lactating mothers received diapers and mosquito repellants.
Mr Sampson told the gathering that malaria among pregnant women reduced from 15 percent in 2019, 12 percent in 2020 and 11 percent in 2021, stressing that reported deaths for the past three years had also reduced.
He said, 50 percent of admissions of children under five were due to malaria with the highest59 percent, recorded in 2021.
Averagely, he said that, malaria positivity test rate for the past years in the municipality were 63 percent, meaning that majority of fever conditions were due to malaria.
Mr Sampson stated “Someof the key approaches are being employed today in solving the problem of malaria include insecticide (sprays), indoor residual spraying, repellant, larvae control, vaccination and well proven drugs. In fact nosingle strategy will solve the problem of malaria. This is because of complex nature of the disease, the parasites and the methods of dealing with the vector.”
Globally, the Health director noted that, there had been calls for heavy investment and innovations inintroducing new vectorcontrol, diagnostics, anti-malaria medicine, and other tools to speed up pace of progress, saying ,” that progress must be sustained and improved.”
He applauded Gold Fields Damang Mine for their continuous support and contribution to efforts in dealing with malaria situations, especially among the most vulnerable groups like pregnant women and children under five years in their operational areas.
The Community Affairs and Stakeholders’ Engagement (CASE) Manager, Abdel-RazakYakubu, noted that, though, the statistics showed a reduction, stakeholders needed to work hard on malaria cases in the Prestea-Huni Valley municipality.
“Presently, the figures are not encouraging, we don’t want to lose focus. We need to work on environmental sanitation and Gold Fields is committed to that goal of malaria control. We will continue with the advocacy to control malaria. We can’t solely rely on traditional methods, that’s why we chose the theme ‘Using innovations to control malaria.
“Gold Fields Foundation since 2004 to date, has invested $898,000 on the health sector, and, for this year’s malaria day, we have spent GH¢25,000. We will continue to collaborate with the municipal health directorate to reduce malaria cases, especially among pregnant women because they are preventable. But, we need the men in this journey,” Mr Yakubu added.
FROM CLEMENT ADZEI BOYE, HUNI VALLEY
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