Clean surroundings prevent diseases- Dr Achisiba

Busunya (B/A), May 11, GNA - Dr Donatus Achisiba, Nkoranza North District Director of Health Services, has called on assembly members, traditional authorities, religious bodies and teachers to sensitize the people on the need to keep their surroundings clean to guard against diseases. He expressed concern about the increasing number of malaria cases in the communities, saying malaria constituted 47 percent of cases reported at health institutions in the district.

Dr Achisiba was addressing staff of the district health directorate and officials of the Disease Control Unit at a first quarterly performance review meeting at Busunya. He advised pregnant women to adhere to the Intermittent Preventive Treatment against malaria by attending antenatal clinics regularly, to save their lives and that of their unborn babies.

Dr Achisiba urged religious leaders to educate their congregations on the importance of environmental sanitation and emphasized the need for nursing mothers to patronize the use of insecticide treated nets. Dr Peter Paul, District Disease Control Officer, disclosed that 100 community based surveillance volunteers had been trained to assist in the management and control of malaria cases in the area. He said about 30 health staff in the district had also undergone capacity building training, on the management of complicated malaria cases, so that they would be able to treat such cases at the sub-district level. Mrs Eva Saku, a public health nurse, reminded nursing mothers on the importance of exclusive breast feeding to keep their babies healthy at all times.