Public Agenda (Accra)
Akwasi Fredua
30 October 2009
The Chinese Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Yu Wenzhe, has made it known that the government of China is ready to offer scholarships and training programmes to Ghanaians who wants to study medicine in China. This study abroad programme, according to him, will help to reduce malaria and improve the living standards of Ghanaians
He made these statements at the donation and sod- cutting ceremony for establishment of Anti-Malaria Research Centre at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra.
In addition, the Chinese government has donated 55 pieces of medical equipment worth US$447,000, constituting a fully functional anti malaria research centre. The equipment include microscopes, ultra violet fluoresce, microwaves, clean benches, centrifuges and water heaters.
A nine-member medical team from China has also been dispatched to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to work with the Ghanaian team and train them in new research methods.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of the Hospital, Prof. Nii Otu Nartey, said since its establishment in 1932 with a 200 bed capacity and now with a 1700 bed capacity, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital still remains the number one research centre in Ghana and assured the donors that the items will be properly taken care of.
Mr. Samuel Boateng, the Acting Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, who received the equipment on behalf of the Minister of Health expressed the nation's sincere gratitude to the speed and urgency with which the government of China responded to the research protocol. He hoped, he added, that the research center will be expanded to all the regions in Ghana.
A public health problem in more than 90 countries, between 300 and 500 million new malaria cases are reported worldwide each year. According to the Roll Back Malaria Campaign of the World Health Organization (WHO), 90 percent of the more than one million deaths worldwide caused by malaria every year takes place in Africa, and malaria constitutes 10 percent of the continent's overall disease burden.
In Africa, south of the Sahara, malaria accounts for approximately 15% of deaths in children under five years of age. Most of these occur in rural areas which have poor access to health care services.
In Ghana, malaria is responsible for up to 70% of daily out-patient consultations at hospitals and clinics and over 23% of deaths in children under five years of age. Malaria is also responsible for 38,000 deaths per annum and over 2,000 deaths in pregnant women, accounting for 9% of all deaths in pregnancy.
Malaria is caused by the bite of the female anopheles mosquito. It can also be transmitted from a pregnant woman to a child and also through blood transfusion.
Symptoms include high fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, tiredness, sweating and chills.
The Chinese government donated 55 medical equipment worth US$447,000 constituting the fully functional anti malaria research centre. The equipment include microscopes, ultra violet fluoresce, microwave, clean bench, centrifuge, water heater and other medical equipment.
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I EMBRACED THE CHINESE GOVRENMENT FOR GIVING GHANAINS SCHOLARSHIP TO STUDY MEDICINE IN CHINA. I THINK THEY HAVE STUDIED HOW FAITHFUL AND BRILLIANT GHANAIANS ARE. I SAY A BIB THANK TO THEM FOR THIS PROGRAM..............DD