World Vision treats children against malaria

World Vision Ghana (WVG), an international non-governmental organization (ngo) focusing on the development of children, has conducted health screening across 13 pre-schools in the Tolon and Kumbungu districts for malaria.

Those who tested positive were given medication to enable to continue attending classes.

Mrs. Alice Bokuma, Development Facilitator for Health of WVG in Tolon and Kumbungu Area Development Programme, said 1,800 children under-five across the 13 schools were screened and that some of the children would be de-wormed.

She said as part of the “gift in kind” programme of the NGO, a US-based philanthropist donated quantities of medical equipment to them for onward supply to treat malaria in sponsored schools and that the remaining consignment would be extended to other schools.

Mrs Bokuma said   children were the priority of WV and the consignment was valued over 240, 000 dollars.

She said 3,600 pregnant women had been targeted for treatment against malaria.

Madam Ruhiya Zakaria, a nurse at Nyankpala Health Center who was among a team of nurses screening the children, said malaria was the most cause of OPD attendance in the area among children.

She said the area had poor environmental sanitation and that most of the children do not sleep under insecticide treated nets.

Shaibu Iddi, a parent who was at the screening exercise, expressed gratitude to WVG and appealed for insecticide treated nets to be given to residents in the community to reduce malaria infections.

Source: GNA