Koforidua, Oct. 28, GNA - About half the number 407 children under five years who died in the Eastern Region within the first six months of the year, was a as a result of malaria infection.

The Eastern Regional Director of Health Services, Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyira, said this was briefing nine students of the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College (GAFSC) and their lecturers who were on study-tour of the region on Monday at Koforidua.

They included army officers from Nigeria, Uganda, Burkina Faso and Zambia.

Dr Appiah-Denkyira noted that malaria remained the second highest killer disease in the region after HIV/AIDS and said malaria-prevention measures were been put in place.

He said the people were been encouraged to live under sound hygienic conditions and to use treated mosquito nets.

Dr Appiah-Denkyira said within the same period under review, the region recorded 1,296 abortions and explained that the high figure was an indication that sex education had to be intensified.

Mr Justice Akuffo-Henaku, Regional Director of the Social Investment Fund (SIF), said the Fund was undertaking about 70 projects in all the ten districts in the region.

He said the SIF would require more than 10 billion cedis to complete the projects, which could help reduce poverty in the region when completed.

Mr Akuffo-Henaku said the Fund had already spent 2.5 billion cedis on some few projects in the region.

He said most of the projects were "demand-driven" and the beneficiary communities identified and implemented the projects.

Ms Jane Kwapong, Regional Head of the National Council on Women and Development (NCWD) said it had disbursed 3 billion cedis to women in the districts to support them in food processing projects.

The Eastern Regional Minister, Dr. Francis Osafo-Mensah gave the assurance government policies would be executed to improve the living conditions satisfactorily to prove that the Government of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is capable of honouring all it's 2000 campaign promises.