Tarkwa: Gold Fields Ghana Foundation (GFGF) has joined the World Malaria Day celebration to demonstrate its commitment to raising awareness and combating malaria in its host communities.
According to Ghana News Agency, the programme was organized by the Foundation in partnership with the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal Health Directorate. It offered free health checks, including malaria screenings, to support the well-being of residents in the Akoon and Booboobo communities. Additionally, Long-Lasting Insecticide-Treated Bed Nets (ITNs) and mosquito repellents were distributed to the residents.
The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Malaria Ends with Us: Reinvest, Reimagine, Reignite.’ Speaking at the event in Akoon, Madam Sandra Deladem Woanyah, Project Manager at GFGF, emphasized the importance of cleanliness in preventing malaria. She noted that they began the day with a clean-up exercise in the communities because cleanliness is a crucial tool against malaria.
Madam Woanyah highlighted that World Malaria Day serves to underscore the impact of malaria on their communities, where it continues to be a major cause of illness and death. She reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to eliminating malaria, stating that health has been a priority for the Foundation for 20 years, with investments in initiatives like community outreaches.
Mrs. Wilhelmina Tiwaah Duah Morttey, Municipal Director of Health Services in Tarkwa Nsuaem, reported that in 2023, the directorate recorded 430,919 Outpatient Department Attendances (OPD), with 52,738 malaria cases, accounting for 12.2 percent of the total attendances. In 2024, OPD attendance increased to 510,439, with 65,167 malaria cases, representing 12.7 percent of the total attendance.
Mrs. Morttey also provided data on Antenatal Care Attendance (ANC), noting that in 2023, there were 8,284 ANC attendances with 519 malaria cases, representing 6.2 percent. In 2024, ANC attendance rose to 9,060, but malaria cases decreased to 313. She outlined the directorate’s interventions for malaria elimination, including preventive treatment for pregnant women, ITN distribution, larval source management, prompt diagnosis and treatment, and enhanced surveillance.
Mr. Alex Damtey, Municipal Environmental Health Officer, addressed misconceptions about malaria, clarifying that it is transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. He emphasized the importance of eliminating stagnant water to prevent mosquito breeding and urged the community to maintain cleanliness to combat malaria.
