The Executive Secretary of the African Media and Malaria Research Network (AMMREN),Dr. Charity Binka, has called for a joint action by all Ghanaians to eliminate malaria as other countries have done.
She made this known when she led a team of the network to the offices of the DAILY GUIDEto deepen partnership with the media.
Whereas some countries, according to her, have advanced to the level of elimination of the disease, Ghana is still at the control stage, reality which demands that more needs to be done.
She paid tribute to the First Lady Madam Rebecca Akufo-Addo, whose efforts in the fight against malaria “started even before she became the First Lady.”
She urged all Ghanaians to join in the fight against malaria, adding that not all fevers should be treated as malaria.
Persons feeling feverish should go to hospital, she continued, adding that people should sleep under the treated mosquito nets to avoid contracting malaria.
Dr. Binka lamented the abuse of the treated mosquito nets, which she explained were being used as fishing nets and for fencing in some areas, according to media reports.
Ghana, according to her, has all the available tools to eliminate malaria as others have done, pointing especially at the Rapid Diagnostic Test tools which allows for the isolation of malaria when people feel feverish.
The AMMREN response to malaria is informed by the seriousness of the disease, which according to reports,has for the first time in a decade, from 2016 to 2017, increased in Africa.
More than seven million deaths and one million cases have been averted as a result of a committed global effort to increase access to basic protection and treatment. Globally, malaria was said to be responsible for 405,000 deaths in 2018 from 228 million cases. It is said to kill a child every two minutes.
The AMMREN is a major player in the fight against the disease. Some of its activities include an editors forum, which was held on September 24 last year and a malaria media coalition launch held on September 25, 2020.
The network plans for this month a parliamentary engagement forum and a private sector roundtable.
Dr. Binka was accompanied by DulcieDelaliAttipoe and EsiBenewaaOtoo. They were hosted by the Editor of the DAILY GUIDE, William Yaw Owusu and the Chief News Editor, A.R. Gomda.
By A.R. Gomda