Invest More In Malaria Prevention – PSMP Urges Gov’t

The government and other key actors in the agricultural value chain, have been urged to up the investment in malaria prevention to help sustain agricultural expansion and increased food production in the country.

Private Sector Malaria Prevention (PSMP) project of Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, with funding from UK-DFID introduced “Malaria Safe Initiative” aimed at guiding agribusinesses to reduce the burden of malaria on farmers.

Mr Ogum Tetteh, Business Technical Advisor of the Private Sector Malaria Prevention (PSMP) project of John Hopkins Centre for Communication Programme, said it was time stakeholders in agriculture came together to discuss innovative approaches to reduce the burden of malaria on farmers and agribusinesses.

Mr. Tetteh Ogum said this during the introduction of Malaria Safe Initiative at a workshop organized by PSMP in collaboration with the Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA), for stakeholders in agriculture at Golden Bean Hotel, Kumasi on Tuesday, 11^th December, 2018.

PSMP observed that the devastating impact of malaria on farmers particularly, those living close to reservoirs at critical planting, weeding and harvesting times make it impossible for farmers to attend their farms, resulting in hunger and creating excruciating poverty in those communities hence the introduction of “Malaria Safe Initiative”.

According to the Business Technical Advisor for Private Sector Malaria Prevention (PSMP), Tetteh Ogum, more rigorous approach to malaria prevention is required as the government is committed to increase agricultural productivity and make the agricultural sector lucrative and attractive.

He therefore urged Government and other key stakeholders in the agricultural value chain to increase investments in malaria prevention in order to sustain agricultural expansion and increased food production in the country.

“As the government strives to increase agriculture productivity through Planting for Food and Jobs and the One Village One Dam Programmes, a more rigorous to make malaria prevention is required” he stated.

“People in malaria endemic regions could experience malaria episodes up to five times a year, and the time lost tending crops during critical agricultural periods in the agricultural cycle meant not just loss of income, but also inability to feed themselves and families,” he explained.

According to him, research had shown that in some countries, malaria-afflicted smallholders lose up to 22 days work to the illness and harvest only 40 per cent of their crops. The cost of malaria to agribusinesses in Ghana in 2016, he said, was GH ¢2,757,434.00.

It was attended by officials from MOFA, Department of Cooperatives, General Agricultural Workers Union, Ghana Health Service, farmer organizations, agribusiness companies and the media, with funding from the Department For International Development (DFID) of the United Kingdom (UK).

“People in malaria endemic regions could experience malaria episodes up to five times a year, and the time lost tending crops during critical agricultural periods in the agricultural cycle meant not just loss of income but also inability to feed themselves and families”, he added.

He made reference a research study, which he said, had shown that in some countries, malaria-afflicted smallholders lost up to 22 days work to the illness and harvested only 40 percent of their crops.

The PSMP has introduced the Malaria Safe Initiative to guide businesses to implement malaria prevention initiatives for employees and their dependents.

Malaria Safe actions that agribusinesses companies could take to reduce the incidence and burden include protection and education.

Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/Kwaku Anane Jnr