Wa, Oct. 7, GNA - Anglo Gold Ashanti Malaria Control Limited, with the collaboration
of the Ghana Health Service and support from the Global Fund, will spend $133 million to
scale up malaria control programmes in 40 municipalities and districts. The new programme, which would begin in January next year and last for five years,
would involve radio and door to door programmes, monthly spraying cycles, provision of
mosquito nets and environmental management. Mr. Amadu Salifu, IEC Coordinator of the Company, said the programme, apart from
its goal of reducing malaria infections by 75 per cent in the beneficiary communities,
would also give employment to about 8,000 people. Briefing the Wa Municipal Assembly on the programme at its second ordinary meeting
in Wa, he said Wa Municipal, Wa East District and Wa West District assemblies were
selected from the region as beneficiaries. The new malaria control strategy, he said, recorded success in the Obuasi area as the
lost man days due to malaria decreased from 6,983 in 2005 to 182 in 2010. The average monthly malaria medication cost at the Edwin Cade Hospital in Obuasi
went down from $55, 000 for 22,000 employees in 2005 to $12,000 for 4,000 employees
in 2010. He said the success chalked at Obuasi had necessitated the need to extend the strategy
to other parts of the country.
