AGA, Obuasi Mine organizes free health screening for residents of Edubiase ahead of 2024 World Malaria Day

Ahead of World Malaria Day which comes off on Thursday 25th April 2024, AngloGold Ashanti has laid out strategies to help residents in its operational areas to prevent and eradicate malaria.

The week-long initiative started with radio sensitization programs on malaria prevention, followed by a clean-up exercise to create a healthier environment for residents and free health screening.

Aside from that, AngloGold Ashanti has already held a webinar for its employees to educate them on their role in the zero-malaria agenda.

Marked each year on April 25, it is an occasion to highlight the global efforts to end malaria and the need for sustained political commitment and continued investment in malaria control and elimination.

The theme for the 2024 edition is “Accelerating The Fight Against Malaria For A More Equitable World.”

According to the Social Development and Gender Superintendent of AngloGold Ashanti, Obuasi Mine, Mavis Nana Yaa Kyei who was speaking at a Free health screening exercise organised by the company in Edubiase, said AngloGold Ashanti had taken notice of the high levels of deaths associated with malaria hence introduced a Malaria Control programme in 2005 which has contributed immensely towards malaria prevention through their Indoor Residual Spraying.

She said the AngloGold Ashanti Malaria Control program protects over 1.2 million Ghanaians annually across 16 districts in the Ashanti Region, Upper West and Upper East Regions.

The Free Health screening dubbed 'mini-clinic' which is a collaboration between AngloGold Ashanti, GIZ, Otumfuo Foundation, AGAMAL, AGA Health Foundation and the Edubiase Divisional Council was highly patronized with residents given on-the-spot treatment and blood tests of various ailments including Malaria, High blood pressure, HIV/AIDS. Some were also provided with dental services.

According to Mavis Nana Yaa Kyei, AngloGold Ashanti continues to be resolute in its approach towards the well-being of residents of communities in its operational areas hence will leave no stone unturned in its quest to implement the healthcare care interventions in their 10-year Socioeconomic Development Plan.

"I call on our stakeholders including community members to help us realise this vision,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Adansi South Health Director, Robert Mensah has lauded AngloGold Ashanti for its Malaria Control program stressing that, together with the Directorate's internal strategies, malaria cases are on the decline in the district.

He said from 2021 to 2023, malaria cases dropped from 14,700 to 14,001. He said the Directorates have not rested on their oars in pursuing solutions to eradicate malaria in the district.

"Together with the IRS introduced by AGAMAL, we have also stepped up our community-based sensitization drive to drum home the relevance of maintaining a healthy environment to prevent the spread of Malaria. If the people adhere to all these, we will make headways in the fight against Malaria," he ended.

The Edubiasehene, Oguahyia Oduropanin Birikorang I who was the chairman of the occasion spoke about measures he has put in place to fight Malaria in New Edubiase and surrounding areas.

He said recognizing the role an unhealthy environment plays in breeding mosquitoes leading to the spread of Malaria, he has set up a committee which will organize periodic communal labour. He stressed that the committee is headed by an educationist who will bring students on board.

Nana Birikorang stressed that focusing on students for communal labour activities is deliberately done to inculcate in the children the need to maintain a hygienic environment.

Residents who participated in the free screening commended AngloGold Ashanti for the mini-clinic. They were particularly excited about the on-the-spot free treatments provided on the day and appealed to AngloGold Ashanti to extend it to include other parts of the country.