86 children Under 5 Years Contracted Malaria Within 90 days
Eighty-six children under five years within the Ada-East District contracted malaria within 90 days, while 231 men and 276 women also contracted malaria within the 90 days – between January and March this year. There was however no malaria-related death.
Data from the Ada-East District Health Directorate indicates that a total of 593 malaria cases were recorded 47 percent of the cases were females, 39 percent male, and 14 percent were children under five years within the period which shows that more women were exposed to mosquitoes.
Globally, the World Health Organization estimated that in 2020, 241 million clinical cases of malaria occurred, and 627,000 people died of malaria, most of them children in Africa.
Because malaria causes so much illness and death, the disease is a great drain on many national economies. Since many countries with malaria are already among the poorer nations, the disease maintains a vicious cycle of disease and poverty.
Mr. Anderson Obeng Amoako, Ada-East District Malaria Focal Person disclosed this as captured by the Communication for Development and Advocacy Consult (CDA Consult) at Ada that measures had been put in place to reduce the menace which included the intensification of public education.
Mr Obeng Amoako noted that other measures also seek to empower the residents to differentiate between signs of malaria and other diseases to ensure that people who test positive for malaria can report to health facilities on time.
He also encouraged people who have been diagnosed to take their malaria drugs.
He attributed the possible causes of malaria in the district to the presence of breeding sites emanating from dugouts from construction building sites, and residents’ refusal to sleep in treated mosquito nets.
Mr. Amoako said that even though Long Lasting Insecticide Nets (LLIN) were being distributed some people refuse to sleep in the treated mosquito nets with mystical excuses.
The Ada-East District Malaria Focal Person said symptoms of malaria include fever and flu-like illness, including shaking chills, headache, muscle aches, and tiredness.
“Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur. Malaria may cause anemia and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and eyes) because of the loss of red blood cells,” and called on people who experience any of the symptoms to visit a health facility and stop self-medication.
