VRA launches malaria strategy document
The Volta River Authority (VRA) on Thursday launched the VRA Malaria Control Strategy document to provide sustainable grounds for planning and implementing effective malaria control programmes.
The launch is aimed at creating malaria-safe workforce and communities in and around VRA operation stations.
The document, supported by the John Hopkins University was launched during VRA’s safety awareness day celebrations with the aim of strengthening the workforce against malaria to reduce the effect of malaria and enhance productivity of every worker.
It also focused on empowering VRA workers and their dependents to be engaged in malaria prevention and treatment.
The VRA malaria document will provide sustainable grounds for planning and implementing effective malaria control programmes towards the creation of malaria-safe workforce and communities in VRA.
Mr Kweku Awotwi, Chief Executive Officer of VRA in a speech read on his behalf said VRA operational sites are high malaria endemic areas and therefore the VRA placed serious emphasis on malaria control and prevention.
The VRA, he noted is committed to the course of malaria prevention and would support all plans and programmes for implementing the strategy with effective allocation of time and resources to ensure the eradication or total control of malaria.
Mr Awotwi said malaria cases cost the VRA GH¢ 82, 943, 84.00 approximately $52, 000 in 2011 and still remained a major public health challenge.
Dr Kezia Malm, Deputy Programme Manager of the National Malaria Control Programme (NMCP) who gave the history of the fight of Malaria said since 1968 Ghana has been implementing the Roll Back Malaria Strategy, which is directed towards achieving a near zero malaria death situations.
She observed that the goal of the current Malaria Control strategy by the NMCP has the target of reducing prevailing malaria cases by 75 per cent by 2015 in line with the Millennium Development Goal set by the United Nations.
Mr Emmanuel Fiagbey Country Director of John Hopkins University Centre for Communication Programme Voices for Malaria Free Future, said malaria reduces the internal mobility of persons from one place to the other and affects the growth of the economy.
He expressed the hope that the strategy document would contribute to the reduction of malaria and contribute to the potential growth sectors of the economy.
Source: GNA