The Kaneshie Area Health Workers Guild, in collaboration with the Pentecost Men’s Ministry (PEMEM) in the Area, has sensitised members on the need to eliminate malaria in Ghana.
As part of the programme, dedicated health workers in the Area were given training on Sunday, April 21, 2024, at the Kaneshie District English Assembly Auditorium on the Ministry of Health (MoH)’s Malaria Elimination Programme. The health workers, in turn, carried out sensitisation programme during PEMEM meeting day on Thursday, April 25, 2024, at the districts and local levels, to mark World Malaria Day.
The training programme had Madam Muniratu Venu, a public health nurse from the Ghana Health Service’s National Malaria Elimination Programme equipping the health workers with knowledge on the rationale for the Malaria Elimination Programme, NMESP Development, Ghana’s goal for Malaria Elimination (2024-2028) objectives and strategic interventions, expected outcomes and the role of stakeholders in Malaria Elimination Programme.
Engaging the media after the event, Dr. Nana Yaw Peprah, the Deputy Programme Manager, National Malaria Elimination Programme, who is also an elder of The Church of Pentecost, revealed that the malaria parasite in Ghana has significantly reduced from 50% in the last 20 years to 8% in a current survey which was done in 2022, while mortality has reduced from 333 in 2019 to 146 in 2023.
He explained that, on the back of these improvements, stakeholders agreed in 2023 that it was time for them to move from malaria control to malaria elimination; the reason for which the National Malaria Elimination Programme has been introduced in 2024.
Pastor Lawyer Daniel Essuman Koomson, the Kaneshie Area Coordinator for the Workers Guild, on his part, indicated that the reason for which the programme was held is that the church has a major role to play in the fight against Malaria.
In order to play this role, Pastor Lawyer Koomson explained that the sensitisation of members on World Malaria Day and after, will make the members conscious of the causes, signs and symptoms of malaria, and activities to undertake to contribute to eliminate malaria in Ghana.
He expressed his gratitude to the members of the Health Workers Guild for their dedication, stating that their effort shows their usefulness in the ‘Possessing the Nations’ agenda of the church.
Report by Kaneshie Area Media