Residents of communities in and around the Ada West District have been advised not to allow any child die or suffer because of malaria.

Over 600 children who are beneficiaries of Compassion International drawn from 14 Child Development Centres from communities spanning Prampram in the Ningo-Prampram district through to Ada Foah in the Ada East District, went on a float and held a durbar at Anyamam in the Ada West District to educate residents on the malaria disease.

The activity was in commemoration of the 2019 World Malaria Day which was on the theme: “Zero Malaria starts with me”.

Mr Elvis Tettey Teye, Partnership Facilitator for the Ada Cluster of Compassion International, told the Ghana News Agency that malaria was very prevalent in the area and that records from the various health institutions revealed that it was one of the most reasons why residents went to hospital.

Mr Teye added that some of the malaria cases were very severe, a situation that could easily claim the lives of children in the area therefore appealing to residents to value the lives of their children by preventing the infection.

He encouraged them to take measures such as sleeping under mosquito treated nets and most importantly, getting rid of mosquito bleeding grounds such pools from their vicinities.

He said even though Compassion International took care of all medical bills of the over 3,500 beneficiaries in the 14 centres, caregivers, residents, traditional leaders and opinion leaders must take up the challenge to reduce malaria to the barest minimum in the areas.

Mr Maxwell Addo Huago, Committee Chairman for the Ada Cluster Compassion International Malaria Campaign, observed that most of the communities were engulfed in filth, a situation which put the children at risk of contracting malaria and other communicable diseases such as cholera.

Mr Huago added that even though they organized hygiene and sanitation education periodically for the beneficiaries and their caregivers, they found it necessary to use the Malaria Day to extend the sensitization to the communities as non-beneficiaries stood a risk of losing their lives because of the high incidence of malaria in the cluster.

According to him, even though they engaged in clean-up exercises and fumigation of the various stagnant waters it was regrettable that most residents would not take part in such exercises.

He therefore appealed to the traditional leaders and opinion leaders in the community to unite with focus and make their communities clean thus reducing the risk of malaria and other sanitation related diseases. The children shared flyers containing information on the malaria disease, its prevention and treatment.

They also recited poems and performed drama to properly educate their peers, parents and others on the malaria disease.

Compassion International is a Christian humanitarian and child sponsorship organization dedicated to the development of children living in poverty around the world.

It was founded in 1952 by Everett Swanson to help children orphaned by war in South Korea. The name of the association was changed to Compassion International in 1963 to actualize Jesus’ words that, “I have compassion on the multitude, I will not send them away hungry”.