By Agnes Ansah, GNA
Accra, April 25, GNA - The Tobinco Pharmaceuticals Limited (TPL) and the Samuel Armoo Tobin Foundation have donated assorted pharmaceutical products worth GH¢10,000 to the children’s hospital in Accra as part of activities to mark the World Malaria Day.
In partnership with the Pharmaceuticals Society of Ghana (PSGH), the Malaria Control Unit and other partners in India, the initiative seeks to sensitise the populace about the harmful effect of malaria.
It also seeks to educate the populace on preventive mechanism of malaria as well as intermittent preventive treatment options available.
Speaking at the event, Mr Ben Kpabi Tetteh, the General Manager for Marketing & Communications at TPL said that “Tobinco has joined the fight against malaria because the disease is very eminent in Ghana hence the need for more hands to help curb it.”
He said the disease, which mostly affected children, was estimated to have killed 20,000 children under age five every year, while rendering those who were able to survive with serious health conditions.
In Ghana, the annual economic burden of malaria was estimated at between one and two per cent of Ghana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
He, therefore, pledged TPL’s continuous support for malaria control until Ghana was declared a malaria free country.
He added that Tobinco was also involved in other activities such as; creating awareness through the media and with health providers and community nurses all over Ghana.
Rev Dennis Sena Awitty, the Executive Secretary of PSGH, said that one of the vulnerable groups to malaria was children below the ages of five hence the need to pay more attention to them.
According to the World Health Organisation, Sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana accounted for almost 90 percent of malaria cases and 92 percent of malaria deaths and children below five years formed part of the vulnerable people since they do not have immune systems that could fight malaria.
He expressed his profound gratitude to Tobinco for such an initiative and urged other stakeholders to come on board to “End malaria for good”.
He said his outfit was happy with the government’s move to end galamsay because unregulated mining led to uncovered pits which held stagnant water leading to the breeding of mosquitoes.
Mr Issac Kobina Abban, the Deputy Medical Superintendent and a Paediatrician at the hospital expressed his gratitude and joy about the donations.
He explained that the children’s hospital was key in a country and since the Princess Marie Louise Children’s hospital was the only one in Ghana, all hands should be on deck to help children obtain good health care.
He said that the Hospital was currently under-staffed making it difficult for adequate service delivery hence the need for the government to employ more staff to help their operations.
GNA
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