Malaria tops OPD cases in Ghana

Malaria is the number one illness in Ghana, accounting for 38.1 per cent of Out Patient Department (OPD) cases, 27 per cent of admissions and seven per cent of deaths.

Most of these deaths occur in children from one to five years.

According to a research pregnant women and the ageing are at the greatest risk. The disease places a huge burden on human lives. About 10 per cent of losses incurred by organisations are related to malaria. It also affects economic and labour force.

Africa’s resources account for an estimated annual economic burden of $ 330 million in Gross Domestic Product. Mr Philip Afeti Korto, the Administrator at the Achimota Hospital, said in an interview that the rate at which malaria leads to the high number of admissions in hospitals is worrisome.

He said the nation needs to hasten the process of control and gradually eliminate the disease.

He said during the first quarter of the year the hospital recorded 3,430 cases of malaria.

He noticed that the treatment of malaria could only be effective if patients continue to take their drugs prescribed by their doctors.

Mr Korto said in other to curb the situation, there must be behavioral change among the citizenry.

He said Ghanaian’s must desist from their bad attitude of throwing rubbish anywhere and clean the environment.

“We must not sit down and wait on government to come and clean our own environment for us. The government can only do but a little, let us therefore contribute our quota to ensure that malaria will be a thing of the past,” he added.

He expressed optimism that a change of attitude towards the environment as well as people sleeping in mosquito nets would bring the situation under control.

Mr Korto commended government for setting up every last Saturday of the month as a day for cleaning the environment and urged the public to participate fully in the National Sanitation Day exercise.