First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo has launched the Private Sector Malaria Prevention Project and Malaria Safe Initiative intended to be a platform for encouraging active private sector participation in efforts at eradicating malaria in Ghana.
The initiative, spearheaded by Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programmes together with Ghana National Malaria Control Programme, is targeted at getting businesses in Ghana to make their working environment, workers and supporting communities malaria-safe by creating awareness and championing malaria-free campaigns within their institutions and Ghana as a whole.
During the launch on Wednesday, 22 February, Mrs Akufo-Addo expressed her delight at such an initiative, noting that “the fight against malaria is not only a passion for me but a responsibility I bear, not only as a mother but as a true citizen who cares for the health of all our people”. She noted that malaria as a disease has devastating consequences especially on pregnant women and children as well as the socio-economic developments of Ghana as a nation. “Malaria in Ghana accounted for about 48.5 per cent of under-five deaths in 2015, still remaining one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the country,” she revealed.
The First Lady further observed that apart from these negative effects on the general population, malaria is also bad for business. She indicated that a report by National Malaria Control Programme shows Ghana lost about $6.58 million to malaria in 2014 through employee absenteeism, increased health care spending, and decreased productivity.
Mrs Akufo-Addo admonished members of the private sector to be active participants in malaria prevention since “it is a sure way to support government in sustaining health and promoting wealth.” She called on the Ghanaian business sector “to rise to the occasion and embrace the goals of the Ghana-UK Private Sector Malaria Prevention Project and its Malaria Safe Initiative.”
Source:Ghana/AccraFM.com
