Gold Fields celebrates Malaria Day

0

Robert Siaw, Sustainable Development Manager, Gold Fields Ghana Limited has said  that intensive awareness creation on malaria prevention is critical to the health of the individual and the nation’s economy.

Therefore, he said there is the need for sustainable commitment on malaria prevention by individuals, households, churches, mosques, organisations among others to bring it to the barest minimum.

Mr. Siaw was speaking at the 2017 World Malaria Day durbar at Samahu in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipality in the Western Region on the theme “End malaria for good”.

He indicated that malaria, has a negative effect on the economy-work output is reduced, income levels becomes low as well as result in poverty since the individual affected by malaria cannot work.

In Ghana, he said and for most parts of Africa, malaria continues to be the number one out-patient department reported illness and it can be deadly.

“If we are going to win the fight against malaria, then we must all change our behavior towards the little things that we do to facilitate the breeding of mosquito – we will continue to work with institutions and civil society groups to reduce malaria incidence in our communities” he said.

He said for three consecutive years, Gold Fields have marked the day with different forms of activities -as part of this durbar, there is going to be malaria quiz competition for schools in our host communities mostly within the Prestea Huni Valley District.

“Gold Fields will give out 750 long lasting Insecticide Treated Nets estimated at a cost of GH¢21,525.00 to community members and some school children” Mr. Siaw mentioned.

He added that prevention is a critical strategy for reducing the toll of malaria- a disease that continues to kill more people, one of the effective and cheaper ways of preventing malaria is sleeping under bed nets each night.

Dr. Ishmael Sackey, Manager Health Services of Gold Fields Ghana Limited said it is possible to eradicate malaria in the country – this can be done by cleaning our environment as well as sleeping in the Insecticide Treated Net.

He mentioned severe headache, jaundice loss of appetite among others as some of the symptoms of malaria -children under age five and pregnant women are mostly affected by malaria.

“I will encourage all to sleep in the net and those who work at night should use mosquito repellant to help prevent malaria” he said.

Source: Juliet Aguiar Dugbartey/thebftonline.com/Ghana

Leave a Reply