Deputy Health Minister Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor on Thursday pledged government’s commitment to improve the country’s health situation despite the enormous challenges. He said despite the epidemics of SARS, mad cow disease, bird flu and recently the swine flu it was the objective of government to ensure that filth and waste were removed from homes, towns and cities to ensure a healthy environment that would increase productivity and improve the economic situation of the country. Speaking at the opening ceremony of a Nationwide Mosquito Control Training programme by waste managers, Zoomlion Ghana Limited in Accra, he said of the ten top illnesses reported to the country’s health institutions, communicable and infectious diseases accounted for over 70 percent out of which malaria accounted for 40 percent. The one-week trainer of trainers workshop is being organised for 80 people selected from the regions. It is expected that they would in turn train 3,000 more nationwide. The aim is to contribute to proper enhancement of cleaning of drains in vicinities, controlling mosquito borne diseases such as filariasis, yellow fever, some haemorrhagic fevers and, most important of all, malaria. Dr. Kumbuor noted that the WHO recommendation on Integrated Vector Control in the fight against malaria would be applied when necessary and feasible; and commended Zoomlion: “I think this is laudable and will fit into the scheme of things by my ministry to control malaria.” Chairman of the Technical Advisory Committee, Dr Kofi Ahmed, said being aware of government intention of making the control of malaria one of principal activities in health, Zoomlion drew mosquito control programme so that it did not go contrary to policies and guideline of the health ministry, Environmental Protection Agency and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. This, he said, was done in the spirit of private-public participation to implement its planned activities and added that being aware of the potential effects of the insecticides to be used on the environment and their effects on the green gases and global warming, the committee had included elaborate programmes to monitor the effects of the insecticides to be used. The General Manager of the company, Mrs. Florence Larbi said its vector control unit had been successful with vector control in the Bui Dam site in the Brong Ahafo Region and were also engaged in the spraying of flies in several parts of the country including Akplamafu in the Hohoe District of the Volta Region. The training she said would focus on how to use the right chemicals and equipment according to WHO standards and also expose participant to various methods of control activities. Mr. Peter Dechant, Business Development Manager of Biosciences, USA and facilitator of the programme said no single approach could solve the malaria problem and that was why his company believed in the integrated approach. Source; GNA