First Lady Launches ‘Malaria Safe Initiative

Rebecca Akufo-Addo in a group photograph with Jon Benjamin and other dignitaries

First Lady Rebecca Akufo-Addo yesterday launched the private sector malaria prevention initiative called 'Malaria Safe', with a call on the business community to invest more resources in malaria prevention.

Addressing the audience at the start of the initiative developed by UK Department for International Development (DFID)-funded Private Sector Malaria Prevention (PSMP) Project of Johns Hopkins Centre for Communication Programme, Mrs Akufo-Addo highlighted the importance of malaria prevention to economic development.

The first lady stated that effective enrolment of the 'Malaria Safe' initiative aimed at supporting companies to increase their productivity and reduce absenteeism due to malaria is a sure way of supporting government in sustaining the health of Ghanaians.

“Leaders of business in Ghana; making your working environment malaria safe, making our workers malaria safe, and supporting communities in Ghana remain malaria safe, is a sure way to ensure health and wealth for all,” she said.

Mrs Akufo-Addo who is the board chairperson of Infanta Malaria Prevention Foundation, an organisation working to prevent malaria among children for the past 12 years, observed that despite the negative effects of malaria on the general population, it has more consequences on pregnant women and children.

She added that the disease is also a bad business for the private sector that lost about $6.58 million to malaria between 2012 and 2014, urging the business community to rise to the occasion and embrace the goals of the project which would go a long way in ensuring a malaria free Ghana.

“This is surely a low hanging fruit the private sector in Ghana must pick,” she added.

Burden of Malaria
Dr Emmanuel Fiagbe, Country Director for the Johns Hopkins Centre for Communication Programme, presenting the burden of malaria to the gathering, said malaria affected 212 million people worldwide in 2015 and resulted in estimated deaths of 429,000 people annually.

He mentioned that in Ghana, malaria accounted for about 38 percent of all out-patient visits and 48.5 percent of deaths among children under five.

Citing a report by the malaria journal, Mr Fiagbe indicated that businesses in the country lost GH¢25million and nearly 4,000 working days due to malaria between 2012 and 2014.

Malaria Safe
He stated that the 'Malaria Safe' initiative would support the private sector to accelerate workplace investments in malaria prevention by facilitating cost-effective ITN distribution plans while providing workplace malaria education.

Mr Fiagbe added that the programme would also work with manufactures, distributors and retailers to help expand the commercial sector's ability to sell ITNs in urban retail markets.

“Companies that partner with the PSMP project and adopt the 'Malaria Safe' pillars will be making strides that will lead to a malaria-free future,” he said.

Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo was presented with a citation for her efforts in preventing malaria among children.

 By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri