Tema, March 29, GNA - Malaria still remains the topmost disease reported at the Out-Patient Departments (OPDs) of the various health facilities in the Tema Metropolis.

A total of 68,800 Malaria cases were recorded by the Tema Metropolitan Health Directorate last year. This shows an increase of 4,994 cases over the 63,806 the Directorate documented in 2009.

Mr Harvey Akafu, Tema Metropolitan Health Information Officer, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview, said 23 out of a total of 751 in- patients, died of Malaria infection last year.

Mr Akafu attributed the increase to a five percent increase in the number of health facilities where the Directorate received data in 2010 and the use of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). He indicated that a total of 349,953 and 320,669 health-related cases were recorded at the OPDs in 2010 and 2009 respectively. Acute Respiratory Infection which had as many as 28,098 recorded cases, was the second highest on the OPD list, he said, adding that it was followed by 24,936 Hypertension cases. Mr Akafu said Pregnancy related conditions were 21,946, while skin diseases and ulcers also recorded a total of 21,775. He urged residents in the metropolis to take sanitation issues seriously to help reduce some of the cases recorded, especially malaria.

He added that a random Body Mass Index (BMI) examination conducted on 173 people in the metropolis by the Directorate last year showed that most people were unhealthy.

Mr Akafu explained that to get a person's BMI, 93the weight of the individual is divided by a square of the height; the answer is then checked on the health chart;" The Directorate found out that one percent of those who took part in the BMI examination, were grossly obese, 35 percent were very heavy, 18 percent were obese, and 36 percent were healthy, while 10 percent were underweight, he said. The figures, he said, showed that only 36 percent of the participants fell under the healthy category, indicating that the remaining 64 percent were unhealthy.

Mr Akafu, therefore, recommended that residents should engage in regular exercises as well as check their diet. He also entreated them to join keep-fit clubs, and take part in health walks organized regularly by the Health Directorate for a free BMI test.