Nkoranza (B/A), June 18, GNA - Malaria claimed a total of 89 lives l= ast year, whilst 51 persons died of the disease in 2009 in the Nkoranza South District of the Brong Ahafo Region.

Madam Salamatu Ibrahim, District Director of Health Services made this known while addressing an orientation workshop for community mother and child support advocates at Nkoranza.

She said a total of 59,688 malaria cases were recorded at health facilities in the District in 2009 and 61,342 by the close of last year. The workshop, organised by the District Health Directorate was aimed a= t sensitising the participants to help improve the health status of women and children in the area. Madam Ibrahim said the advocates would obtain the views of other stakeholders on key issues concerning malaria prevention and treatment to help control the disease among the people. She said they were expected to identify issues affecting the malaria control programme in order to introduce the necessary strategies to reverse it.

The District Director said the advocates would educate nursing mothers on the importance of supervised delivery and the need to attend post natal clinics to prevent maternal and infant mortalities. Madam Ibrahim expressed concern about how malaria continued to dominat= e the top 10 cases at the out-patient Department in health facilities in the District. He urged the advocates to sensitise the people to be particular about their diet and personal hygiene to avoid contracting communicable diseases. Mr Charles Kwasi Gyamfi, District Disease Control Officer, urged the advocates to visit churches, groups and associations, as well as the traditional authorities to educate the people on the causes and prevention of malaria. He advised persons attacked by malaria to seek early treatment at the healthy facilities. Mr Gyamfi asked mothers not to delay in seeking medical attention for their children below five years infected with the disease. He said potholes, ponds, rubbish dumps, empty tins and excavation site= s were breeding places for mosquitoes and appealed to the people to destroy o= r cover such ditches.