Malaria kills more than HIV - Lordina Mahama

The First Lady Mrs. Lordina Mahama has observed that Malaria is killing more people, particular children, as compared to HIV/AIDS.

According to her even though more measures have been taken to eradicate malaria, the citizen as individual must join hands with relevant institutions to eradicate the disease totally.

The first lady made the observation when she interacted and presented medical supplies to the Essam government hospital at Bia West in the Western Region as part of the Lordina Foundation’s efforts to support government in ensuring quality healthcare for the citizenry.

The First Lady noted that Malaria is the leading cause of death in this country and the major cause of poverty and low productivity. “Even though government, the Health Ministry and other stakeholders are doing all it can to eradicate malaria we as individual also have a role to play” She stated.

Mrs Mahama indicated that mosquitoes breed in filth and stagnant water so she urged Ghanaians to ensure that their surroundings are clean, ensure free flow of water in gutters and sleep in mosquito nets adding that “’Malaria is said to be more deadly than HIV/AIDS, so we must join forces to drive malaria out of the country”.

Each passing day more health facilities continue to benefit from the First Lady Mrs Lordina Mahama medical delegations. With the support of its partners, MedShare USA and other sponsors, the Lordina Foundation seeks to help improve health delivery and save lives in hospitals through these interventions.

The support to the Essam Government Hospital adds to the numerous such donations the Lordina foundation has undertaken in the last several years to many deprived hospital facilities across the country. These items, she believe will help in providing better and quality healthcare to residents of this town who come seeking help from this health facility.

According to the First Lady the provision of quality healthcare is not a privilege but a right for all especially women and children, to live, and to enjoy life with their families and in their communities, government is doing its best to upgrade health facilities across the country.

“These effort need to be supplemented by NGOs and other charitable organizations that have access to additional resources’ the first asserted,

According to the International Cocoa Organization in 2012 -2013 approximately 60 percent of the world cocoa came from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.

As a farming community which engages in cocoa and crop farming and also share borders with la Cote d’Ivoire, the first lady called on the people of Bia West to join forces with government to work together to ensure that farms are not worked by any labour that is believed to be trafficked or involving child labour.

She said, "It is important both as an issue of the well being of our people as well as preventing any black listing of our two countries on the international commodity market for the use of illegal labour. We need our children in schools hence parents must ensure that their wards attend school, and are catered for and protected at all times.”

Mrs Mahama expressed the commitment of the Lordina Foundation and the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV (OAFLA) to continue organizing more medical delegations, health screening and provide more medical supplies to our health facilities to improve healthcare delivery across the country.

She used the opportunity to appeal to the chiefs and elders to sensitize the youth to stay out of trouble and eschew any activities that will endanger the peace of this country before, during and after the December elections.

The Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, the Western regional Minister, Paul Evans Addo and the National Women Organiser of the NDC, Hajia Zaynab Mahama, accompanied her.