Malaria in Eastern Region is severe

Koforidua, Oct. 29, GNA- Malaria infection of children under five years is severe in the Eastern Region, the Eastern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira said on Monday. He was briefing nine students of the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College (GAFSC) and their lecturers who are on study-tour of the Eastern Region at Koforidua.

The students included army officers from Nigeria, Uganda, Burkina Faso and Zambia.

He said malaria remain the second highest killer disease in the region after HIV/AIDS and said the region is trying to reduce the prevalence of the disease by advising the public to live good environmental surroundings

Dr. Appiah-Denkyira said the region recorded 1,296 abortions and explained that the figure was an indication that more efforts had to be put into the education of human sexuality.

Mr. Justice Akuffo-Henaku, Regional Director of the Social Investment Fund (SIF) said the fund had identified over 70 projects in the ten districts in the region.

He said his office would need over 10 billion cedis to complete the projects that they have identified and could help reduce poverty in the region.

Mr. Akuffo-Henaku said his organisation has already spent 2.5 billion cedis on some of the projects.

He said the challenge facing his organisation in the implementation of the projects was how to change the wrong perception that government had to provide all the development needs of the people and how to get the people to own the projects.

Ms Jane Kwapong, Regional Head of the National Council on Women and Development(NCWD) said her organisation had disbursed three billion cedis to women in the districts to support them in food processing projects.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Dr. Francis Osafo-Mensah gave the assurance that his administration would ensure that all the policies of the Government are executed satisfactorily.