The British High Commission in Ghana, in partnership with the Department for International Development (DFID), has donated 2.5million pieces of Malaria Test Kits, costing Gh?2million, to the Ministry of Health to help reduce the rate of malaria in the country.
Making the presentation, the British High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr. Peter Jones, stated that Ghana had achieved a 35% reduction in infant deaths and an impressive 40% increase in life expectancy.
The British High Commissioner commended Ghana’s strong track record of achieving its goals in health, such as eradicating polio and guinea worm, which other nations were yet to reach.
“But this is not to say that the work is complete. Ghana must finish the job of ending preventable deaths from pregnancy and childbirth, from communicable diseases, and ensuring that all Ghanaians could access good quality health services,’’ he added.
Mr. Jones expressed appreciation to the United Kingdom Government for supporting the provision of subsidised ACTs in Ghana.
He said through DFID, the UK would provide up to 168 million Ghana cedis of direct support to the Ministry of Health budget between now and 2017 to help these efforts.
The Minister for Health, Madam Sherry Ayittey indicated that the Ministry had put in place a Management Tracking Committee to check on the distribution of the test kit to high prevalence areas such as the Northern, Central and Western sectors which would be dispatched immediately.
She explained that every fever would be tested for Malaria, since everybody assumes all fevers were malaria, but which may be an infection and should be given an antibiotic.
Source: ISD
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