Some of the company’s workers at the durbar
Goldfields Ghana Limited, a gold mining company in the Western Region, has resolved to give out about 750 long-lasting insecticide treated nets (ITNs) estimated at a cost of GH¢21, 525 to community members and some school children in the company’s catchment area.
The move by the company which forms part of activities marking this year’s World Malaria Day is also to help prevent malaria among the people in the communities.
Robert Siaw, Sustainable Development Manager, Goldfields Ghana Limited, who revealed this, explained that intensive awareness creation on malaria prevention was critical to the health of the people.
To this end, he stressed that there was 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 stated this at a durbar at Samahu in the Prestea/Huni Valley District of the Western Region to mark this year’s World Malaria Day. It was on the theme: ‘end malaria for good’.
He indicated that malaria has an adverse effect on the economy, in that work output would reduce, income levels would become low since the individual affected by malaria cannot work.
Mr Siaw disclosed that in Ghana and most parts of Africa, malaria continues to be the number one out-patient department reported illness.
“If we are going to win the fight against malaria, then we must all change our behaviour towards the little things that we do to facilitate the breeding of mosquitoes. We will continue to work with institutions and civil society groups to reduce malaria incidence in our communities,” he said.
Mr Siaw hinted that for three consecutive years, Goldfields marked the day with different forms of activities
“As part of activities to mark the day, there is going to be malaria quiz competition for schools in our host communities mostly within the Prestea Huni Valley District,” he revealed.
He added that prevention was a critical strategy for reducing the toll of malaria that continues to kill more people, and one of the effective and cheaper ways of preventing malaria was sleeping under bed nets each night.
Dr Ishmael Sackey, Manager Health Services of Goldfields Ghana Limited, stated that it was possible to eradicate malaria in the country, adding, “This can be done by cleaning our environment, as well as sleeping under insecticide treated nets.”
He mentioned severe headache, jaundice, loss of appetite, among others, as some of the symptoms of malaria, reiterating that 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 repellents to help prevent malaria,” he added.
From Emmanuel Opoku, Samahu