Yankey takes malaria campaign to Takoradi… As Zoomlion collaborates with Ministry of Health

DR. SIPA Adjah Yankey, Minister for health, has stated that the government of President John Evans Atta Mills would not sit down unconcerned, and watch helplessly, while Ghanaians continue to die in their numbers, as a result of the worsening situation of malaria in the country.

He has thus announced that the government was strategically planning and collaborating with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, the country's waste management experts, to use all effective means at their disposal to deal with the malaria situation in the country.

He however indicated that instead of fighting for its elimination, he was more concerned about its control.

Dr. Yankey said the government would also lead the malaria control crusade in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region. He, therefore, underscored the urgent need for all Ghanaians to understand this new agenda to the fight against the disease. “We will take the fight to the mosquitoes, join forces with the Ministry of Health and Zoomlion Ghana Limited, to get the work done,” he pointed out.

According to the Lawyer turned Health Expert, Ghana would work in collaboration with neighboring countries in the sub-region, to effectively and efficiently confront the hazard of malaria.

Towards achieving this herculean task, Dr. Yankey disclosed that Ghana would engage countries such as Togo, Burkina Faso, and Cote d'Ivoire to join the campaign.

As a result, the Minister disclosed that about 3,000 youth in the country had already been engaged and trained to take up the task for a nationwide mass spraying exercise, which is a collaborative effort of the Ministry of Health, Zoomlion Ghana Limited and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

The Government's Malaria Control Programme, he reiterated, was geared towards outright control of malaria, instead of its elimination in Ghana, as was done previously.

To this end, he promised that the manifesto of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), which has made this clear, would be strictly followed.

And that it must be supported by all and sundry. “We are not going to do politics with mosquitoes; in 2012 we shall do the politics again, but for now, we must support the malaria control programme like the Black Stars, which every Ghanaian supports,” he pointed out.

Dr. Yankey made the appeal at the launch of the first Nationwide Mosquito Control Programme in Takoradi over the weekend.

He stated: “Every Ghanaian must be involved in the control of malaria,” indicating: “It is our collective responsibility as Ghanaians to keep our environment clean to control malaria.”

The Minister revealed that if Ghanaians should settle on the need to make the fight of malaria a collective responsibility, that decision alone would save the country about $760 million, which had consistently been used annually by the government on malaria treatment and drugs.

“Malaria, apart from causing the country's economy, also impacts negatively on our health system. I am therefore appealing to all Ghanaians to give Zoomlion, and the Ministry of Health, the needed cooperation,” he added.

The National Coordinator for Vector Control Unit of Zoomlion Ghana, Alhaji Mohammed Ziblim, in an address, said Zoomlion had resolved among others to keep Ghana clean, inculcate good sanitation habits among the citizenry, and engage the youth in employment, while improving upon women's economic empowerment.

Earlier, the Western Regional Minister, Mr. Paul Evans Aidoo, in his welcome address, reminded Ghanaians that “Since mosquitoes are the cause of the spread of malaria, the elimination of mosquitoes will ultimately lead to the elimination of malaria.” He thus called for an attitudinal change among Ghanaians towards the environment, saying, disposing of refuse by Ghanaians in backyards, open spaces, beaches, as the commonest places being used as refuse dumps, must be discarded. “The consequences of such conduct are that city authorities have not been able to deal with the problem, resulting in the spread of diseases.” To efficiently and effectively manage the waste generated poses a lot of difficulties to the city authorities, as is the case in sister cities throughout the country,” Mr. Aidoo stressed. About ten of the 17 District Chief Executives in the region were also present. Zoomlion Ghana has demonstrated its capability of tackling the sanitation problem in the country. It has engaged many of the unemployed youth in Ghana, and continues to help improve the sanitation situation in the country.

In the Sekondi -Takoradi Metropolis, the company significantly improved the sanitation situation, an improvement noted by the health professionals among residents.