The Birim South District recorded a total of 10,883 malaria cases representing 49 percent of all Out Patient Department (OPD) cases from the period of January to October this year.

The figure representing 49 percent of all Out Patient Department (OPD) cases from the period of January to October this year.

Upper respiratory cases recorded was 5,668 representing 25 percent of OPD cases, diarrhoea cases 2,160 representing 10 percent of OPD cases, Rheumatism and joint pains cases recorded was 2,134 representing 10 percent and intestinal worms infestation recorded 1,421 cases representing 6 percent of all OPD cases.

This was shared by Mr Gideon Kwakye, Public Health Officer at the Birim South District Health Directorate during a district-level dialogue and validation of a report on the 0.5 percent DACF for malaria and related expenditure.

The project dubbed ‘’People for Health’’ is a consortium of three organizations including Send-Ghana, Pensplusbytes, and the Ghana News Agency (GNA) aimed at addressing health issues in the area of HIV and AIDS, Malaria, Water and Sanitation, and Hygiene and Nutrition.

Mr Kwakye indicated that in 2018 over 57,000 pieces of bed nets were distributed in the district to pregnant women at the ante-natal clinics, child welfare clinics, and periodic health education programs at the community level.

He said they have observed that the distributed bednets were not being used by the beneficiaries and education on attitudinal change was also not going on well resulting in the high rate of recorded malaria cases.

Mrs Harriet Nuamah Agyeman, Senior Programs Officer at Send Ghana, called for orientation among stakeholders to enable them to prioritise the fight against malaria and urged the assembly to allocate more resources to the fight against malaria.

Whiles admitting that the district was new and might face challenges with generating adequate Internally Generated Fund (IGF), the 0.5 percent District Assembly Common Fund (DACF) earmarked for malaria must be released on time so that it could be used for its purpose.

She called for a stronger collaboration between the Assembly and the health directorate so that access to resources particularly the 0.5 DACF could be released timely to facilitate activities aimed at reducing malaria cases.