Ghana spends 77 million annually to treat malarial cases, with their attendant problems such as loss of labour, excuse duties and other related productivity issues.

Last year alone, the country recorded a total of 30 million malaria cases, and given the recent flood situation in parts of the country, malaria is expected to cause more havoc to the nation's economy if stakeholders and policy makers do not address the situation immediately.

The Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah (retd), made this known during an interaction with health officials and members of the Savelugu-Nanton District Assembly at Savelugu.

The interaction was part of the minister's three-day tour of flooded areas in the three northern regions. The tour enabled the minister and his entourage to have first-hand information about the health challenges posed by the recent floods in the area.

He expressed regret that the country's expenditure on ill health had increased over the years and noted that such a situation was likely to affect the nation's quest for rapid economic growth and accelerated development.

"As I speak now, I know that malaria is going to be a major problem, since we are likely to have stagnant water all over the country as a result of the floods," he pointed out.

He urged Ghanaians to prevent sicknesses and to take precautionary measures in order not to increase the country's budget on ill-health.
"Money being spent on ill-health can do so many things. Let us be serious with our personal hygiene in order not to compound the country's developmental challenges," Major Quashigah further stated.

He stressed that health issues should not be politicized but regarded as developmental challenges, adding, "For me, we must launch a new assault on the high incidence of guinea worm."

The Savelugu-Nanton District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Abubakari Atori, said the floods caused extensive damage to property, including farmlands, and gave the assurance that he was "doing everything possible to help reduce guinea worm infes¬tation in this district".

According to him, the assembly, with support from its partners, had evolved effective strategies to curb the incidence of guinea worm by forming dam guards to prevent people from fetching water from unsafe sources.

A medical officer of the Savelugu Hospital, Dr Eric Eshun, indicated that in 2006, the hospital recorded 3,805 malarial cases, while in 2007 it had so far recorded 6,894 cases.

He further said between January and August 2007, 332 cases of diarrhoea were recorded, as against 224 cases last year. He attributed the increases to the flood situation.

Dr Eshun mentioned congestion in the wards and inadequate hospital beds for patients as the major challenges facing the Savelugu Hospital.

The Northern Regional Co-ordinator of Guinea worm, Mr Gilbert Dery, said between January and August 2006, 802 cases of guinea worm were recorded.

Major Quashigah later called on the Regional Minister, Alhaji Mustapha Ali Iddris, who assured the Health Minister that the necessary mechanisms had been put in place to ensure that relief items were given to the disaster victims without being diverted.


Source: Daily Graphic