Richard Attenkah
30 June 2008
Tema — The Principal Nursing Officer, of the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate, Madam Georgina Amankwa, has stated that about 40 per cent of reported sicknesses, and 10% of death-related cases, in both in private and government hospitals in the country, are caused by the malaria parasite.
She has, therefore, advised the general public, especially children and pregnant women, not to under-estimate what the malaria disease could do to their health.
According to her, even though the disease was preventable and curable, it could be very fatal, if not treated promptly, with effective malaria medicines.
Madam Georgina pointed out that the disease, kills more than nine million people every year worldwide, saying, the victims are mostly children less than 5 years of age, and pregnant women.
Addressing some selected school pupils, drawn from Junior High schools in Tema last Friday, the Principal Nursing Officer explained that malaria was caused by a parasite, scientifically known as Plasmodium Falcipanum, and transmitted through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito.
Explaining further, Madam Georgina disclosed that everybody was at risk of getting the disease, but the most vulnerable group, were infants under 5 years, and pregnant women.
Speaking at a Malaria Awareness Campaign programme, put together by the Tema Youth for Christ, a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) based in Ghana, Madam Georgina Amankwa explained that malaria comes in two forms - complicated (severe) and uncomplicated (simple).
She called on the pupils to seek early treatment, whenever they experienced signs of malaria in their bodies, as well as ensure that they take drugs prescribed for them, so that they would be free from the attacks of malaria.
She urged them not to take medicines on an empty stomach, saying they should make sure they eat before taking their drugs, and also ensure that they build on their nutritional status.
Mr. Abel Adzrakor, Metropolitan Disease Control Officer, said the pupils should be ambassadors for malaria prevention, by advising their parents and friends, to keep their environment clean.
He advised the pupils to bury unwanted empty tins, and cans they see around, seal unwanted holes, cover their water receptacles, and remove stagnant water from gutters and other drains around their houses.
The Disease Control Officer encouraged the pupils to use insecticide-treated bed nets, mosquito repellants, mosquito coils, and spray areas where mosquitoes are commonly found, so as to live in environments free from mosquito bites.
The Board Chairman of the NGO, Mr. Abraham Sanni Thomas, on his part, said the malaria awareness campaign, was to educate and impact positively on the young ones, so they would be encouraged to become ambassadors of malaria prevention, in order to get the environment free from malaria.
The event, which he described as very successful, was one of their annual programs to educate the public on malaria, and hinted that the next annual program, would lay emphasis on the use of malaria drugs.
Mr. Sanni appealed to the government, organizations, and individuals, to come to the aid of the NGO, to enable them propagate the message of malaria in the country.
The schools which attended the programme include; Datus Complex JHS, Community 7 Numbers 1 and 2 JHS, Tema Royals, Tema Christian Center, and others, including some teaching staff from the above-mentioned schools.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 Ghanaian Chronicle. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
