Accra, 7 April, GNA - Dr. George Sipa Yankey, Minister of Health, on Tuesday promised an all-out fight against malaria in efforts to control the disease in two years. He said the war would involve other health ministries in the West Africa sub-region to come out with interventions on how to combat the disease.

Speaking during a courtesy call on him by the Mrs Julia Olmo, Spanish Ambassador, Dr Yankey appealed to the Spanish government to provide the country with ambulances to take care of health issues, which needed emergency attention.

"There are only 41 ambulances in the entire country with Greater Accra having six of them. This situation makes the carrying of accident victims to hospitals very difficult," Dr. Yankey said. He noted that as a result of the limited number of ambulances to carry accidents victims, many people lost their lives. The Minister appealed to the Ambassador to support the ministry in its quest to make health care accessible to the people. Dr Yankey expressed the hope that bilateral relations between the two countries would continue to grow from strength to strength. Recounting Spain's assistance to the country, Mrs Olmo noted that in 2005, the Spanish government allocated 60 million euros to all sectors of the economy with the health sector receiving 10 million euros for the construction of health centres.

The ambassador promised to provide the health centres with the needed equipment and also assist the ministry in the fight against tuberculosis and malaria.

She promised five million euros to the ministry to carry out feasibility studies on any disease of its choice.