Saltpond (C/R), Dec 1, GNA - Malaria accounts for about 45 per cent of out patients' attendance and 36 per cent of patients admitted to the Saltpond District Hospital.
It is also the major disease in the District that affect children and pregnant women.
Mr Samuel Sosi, Acting District Director of the Ghana Health Services, announced these when opening a five-day workshop on Malaria Case Management and Intermittent Preventive Treatment using the new Anti-Malaria Drug Policy at Saltpond.
About 50 health workers from health facilities in the District are participating in the workshop.
Mr Sosi said Malaria had been the leading cause of death among children less than five years of age and accounted for about 9.4 per cent deaths among pregnant women.
He advised the participants to take the workshop seriously to minimise the effect of the disease.
Mr Francis Saareson, District Disease Control Officer, said the training was in response to the need for a basic factual information on the management of Malaria.
He said the workshop would offer the participants the opportunity to discuss the basic concepts of Malaria situation in Ghana and also know the rationale for the new Anti-Malaria Drug Policy.
Mr Emmanuel Twumasi, a Resource Person from the National Malaria Control Programme said the change over from Chloroquine to Artesunate and Amodiaquine as front line treatment for Malaria should be a gradual process.
He said there were enough of the Artesunate and Amodiaquine at Regional Hospitals, to be released to the Districts after the workshops on their dispensation.
Mr Moses B. Asante, Central Regional Focal Person on Malaria said the parasites had developed resistance to mono therapy hence the shift from Chloroquine to the combination of Artesunate and Amodiaquine. He cautioned Ghanaians to stick to the dosage to make the new therapy to succeed in reducing Malaria.
