Malaria major cause of out patient attendance - Attoh

Amansaman (G/R) Mr Samuel Nii Attoh, Ga District Chief Executive (DCE), on Wednesday said malaria was still the major cause of out patient attendance at health institutions in the District.

He said the disease represented 45.4 per cent of hospital attendance. Other diseases reported included measles and diarrhoea. Mr Attoh announced this at the Third Ordinary Meeting of the Ga District Assembly (GDA) at Amasaman in the Greater Accra Region. Present at the meeting was a visiting 19-member delegation from the City of Grand Rapids in the United States of America (USA).

The delegation led by the Mayor of Grand Rapids, Mr George Heartwell, is in the District to take part in the 10th Anniversary celebrations of the Sister City relationship between the GDA and the City of Grand Rapids.

Mr Attoh said the perennial sanitation problem such as permanent refuse disposal sites in the District still persisted.

He called on the people to change their attitude towards the proper waste disposal so as to minimise the incidence of diseases in the area. Mr Heartwell said the Sister City relationship between GDA and Grand Rapids was very important since it brought together people from different countries with diverse backgrounds.

He said peace, harmony and tolerance was needed to make the world prosperous and happy.

"International cooperation starts with people knowing each other, experiencing the uniqueness of the other, and recognising that which we have in common," he said.

Meanwhile the Ga District Assembly (GDA) and the City of Grand Rapids signed a commitment agreement to promote the welfare of the citizens of the two cities.

The accord was also to strengthen the already existing relationship between the two cities.