The Ghana Health Service, Yinson Ghana, and the West Africa Rescue Association (WARA) have collaborated in series of activities to mark World Malaria Day in Kejebril community in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region.
The strategic partnership for improved health saw the entities organising clean up exercise in the Kejebril community, visualisation competition for school children, school health and awareness programme on Malaria prevention for 100 students, durbar, and the donation of essential commodities to the community’s health Centre.
Kejebril, forms part of the catchment communities in which Yinson’s operated.
The medical items included,16 Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT), 50 Lonart DS, five Packs of Sanitizers, one Nebulizer Machine, two Large Oxygen Cylinders, two Flow Meters, two Gas Canisters, and one Set of Otoscope.
The rest are: one Hematology Analyzer, Reagents for the analyzer, one Microscope, 200 Treated Mosquito Nets, one Veronica Bucket and Office printer.
The partners also renovated the delivery ward of the facility.
Some school children in a competition expressed their understanding through a visualisation processes where the top five winners received awards.
Dr. Kobby Dzakpasu, led an engaging session using visual aids to bring the issues of Malaria and thus helping the school children to understand the ins and outs of malaria.
At the durbar, Dr. Joe Gbene a Medical practitioner, took the community through the ABCDE of malaria prevention which he explained as Awareness on risks factors, avoiding being Bitten by mosquito, usage of the Chemoprophylaxis, seeking Diagnosis and treatment and Emergency response.
He urged the community to be environmentally conscious, the use of treated long lasting Nets, and repellent among other means of prevention.
Nana Anghmatia VI, the Chief of Kejebir was so appreciative of the kind gesture by the partners and tasked the community to patronise the facility.
He said, “Don’t leave the centre here and go to Apowa,Kwesimibtsin or European for healthcare, we are really fighting for upgrade, and it is the level of patronage that will make the trick.”
The Municipal Director of Health, Mr Emmanuel Tamakloe, was so happy that various interventions had yielded positive results over the last four years.
“The Municipality had done marvelously well, we have not recorded any official Malaria deaths among pregnant women, children under five and even the children public,” he added.
He noted that, Ahanta West recorded 33, 065 Malaria cases out of which 512 were pregnant women and 8,053 were children under five years.
“Together we can reduce morbidity in line with the vision of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Global Malaria Community which is a world free of Malaria,” he noted.
He therefore called on frontline health workers, partners, stakeholders, Chiefs, and all opinion leaders in the Municipality to help accelerate the fight against Malaria for a more equitable world.
Mr. Edward Mensah, Corporate Social Responsibility Lead of the Yinson said since 2016, Yinson had actively engaged in educational interventions within the Western region, with a particular focus on Kejebril adding that, “the Kejebril community holds a special place in our hearts—it is not just a location; it is our home. We firmly believe that local impact begins with familiar places.”
He said the company recognized that profits should not be confined to their balance sheets but rather contribute to a better world—for this generation and those yet to come.
Mr. Mensah said, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on eradicating poverty to ensuring quality education, promoting health and well-being to fostering environmental sustainability formed the blueprint for positive change for Yinson towards a brighter community.
A malaria screening exercise, saw 10 people infected with Malaria and were promptly treated.
