Rebecca Akufo-Addo holding hands with Andrew Clocanas on her left and Dr Fritz Sacher on her right after the signing of the MoU
Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Merck, a leading science and technology company, and ASPIRx, a Ghanaian-owned and vaccine operated bio-pharmalogical manufacturer, to support Ghana Health Service’s National Malaria Control Programme.
The signing of the MoU, which coincided with the World Malaria Day, is aimed at exploring solutions for malaria prevention, including supporting the development of the new community-based health planning and services (CHPS) facility.
The World Malaria Day is under the theme: ‘Ready To Beat Malaria’ with a localised theme: ‘How Best To Protect Children And Pregnant Women From Malaria Infection’.
Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation, established by First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo to undertake activities to prevent malaria among women and children, has over the years worked in collaboration with other partners to prevent malaria among its target group in hard-to-reach areas of the country.
In her remarks after the signing ceremony, Mrs Akufo-Addo called for renewed impetus in the battle against malaria.
“Ghana has made significant progress in controlling malaria, but there is still more to do. I envision a Ghana where every child and every woman is adequately protected or able to test, treat and recover quickly from malaria,” she stated.
“My message is to call on every one of us in our individual capacities, to do whatever it takes to beat malaria for good,” the first lady added.
According to her, this is a shared vision which was recently shared by President Akufo-Addo recently at the just-ended Malaria Summit in London, where he boldly declared that Ghana is ready to beat malaria.
Mrs Akufo-Addo used the occasion to remind Ghanaians on some of the basic individual efforts such as sleeping under an insecticide treated bed net, using a mosquito repellent and consulting a health worker when one or a family member has symptoms of malaria to get tested and treated.
Noted for her commitment to the cause of women and children, Mrs Akufo-Addo said to address the high rates of severe under-nutrition and the high incidence of malaria in Ghana’s population, relationships with Merck and AspirX offer opportunities to invest in “what we believe will make a difference in the lives of women and children.”
“Our president has set our tone of action and our first lady has inspired us with her dedication to service. It is now our responsibility to bring our achievements back home to Ghana. I am extremely proud to announce today that I am bringing my achievements and life’s work back home to invest in my country. We are building the first world-class vaccine and research platform in Africa, here in Ghana,” ASPIRx Executive Chairman, Andrew Clocanas, said.
“It has been a great opportunity to mark the World and Merck Malaria Day this year with new partners in the fight against malaria,” Beatrice Greco, Head of Research & Development and Access for the Merck Global Health Institute at Merck, pointed out.
“In the context of our research and development programmes for health solutions in infectious diseases, this initiative will certainly contribute to the success of our integrated ‘One Merck for Malaria Programme’ for the pillar on transmission control,” she added.
World Malaria Day
In recognition of the World Malaria Day in Ghana on April 25, the Ghana Health Service, through the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP), organised a community outreach at the Ashaiman municipality, where free insecticide treated bed nets were distributed free of charge after undergoing voluntary tests.
Dr Kesiah Malm, Programme Manager NMCP, encouraged the public to make good use of the free bed nets, adding that sleeping under the bed nets at night is a sure way of ending the bane of malaria in the country.
MTN Ghana Foundation also distributed 300 treated insecticide mosquito nets to pregnant women, nursing mothers and children in medical facilities in three regions of the country in commemoration of the World Malaria Day.
They are Sekyere Krobo and Nsuta CHPS compound in the Wassa East District of the Western Region, Atonsu Agogo Government Hospital in Ashanti Region and Pentecost Hospital in Madina in the Greater Accra Region.
The Acting Services Executive of MTN Ghana, Samuel Koranteng, led the team to distribute 100 treated insecticide mosquito nets to the target group at the Pentecost Hospital at Madina.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri & Solomon Ofori