Two communities; Nkumkrom and Dumpong benefit from Free Health and Wellness Fair
According to WHO’s latest World malaria report, there was an estimation of 241 million malaria cases and 627 000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2020. This represents about 14 million more cases in 2020 compared to 2019, and 69 000 more deaths. Approximately, two-thirds of these additional deaths (47 000) were linked to disruptions in the provision of malaria prevention, diagnosis, and treatment during the pandemic.
A 2018 World Health Organization (WHO) malaria report also shows new malaria cases are high in Ghana yet measures to halt the trend has stalled. The report, which highlights some considerable progress made in the past decade, named Ghana among ten (10) African countries where new cases are high.
Two communities; Nkumkrom and Dumpong in the Akwapim South Municipal are the latest to benefit from Esse Quam’s General Well Being programme which is geared towards supporting SDG’s 1, 3 & 6.
The partnership activity with Norvi Va Foundation was a free ‘Health and Wellness Fair’ and saw residents in the two communities being educated on good health and personal hygiene. The residents in the communities also got their blood pressures checked, and were screened for malaria parasites. To encourage them in improving their personal hygiene, female teenagers and some of the women in both communities also benefited from free sanitary pads donated by ‘Norvi Va‘, with volunteers from both organisations entertaining the children with face-painting.
The ‘Esse Quam and Norvi Va’ teams, with volunteers and support from the Akwapim South Municipal Health Directorate, first engaged the Nkumkrom community, and later moved to the Dumpong community for same activities in the afternoon.
The Municipal Director of Health Services for the Akwapim South Municipal Assembly, Madam Emily Amponsah Osman, together with her supporting staff; Mr. Isaac Newton Lowor and Madam Henrietta Gyapomaah were present and provided the needed support and assistance for the exercise. They also counselled all individuals who were screened, and referred those who tested positive for malaria to the nearest health clinic for extra medical attention.
Out of the 100 individuals screened (64 in Nkumkrom and 36 in Dumpong), there were 66 females and 34 males of which 40 of the total were below the age of 18, with a total of 31 individuals testing positive for the malaria parasite. 17 individuals also had their blood pressure out of the normal range, and were part of all referred for medical attention.
Themed ‘Fight Against Malaria‘, and held on Saturday September 30th 2022, the free health and wellness fair was a collaboration between Esse Quam and Norvi Va Foundation; another non-for-profit, and was jointly sponsored by the two organisations.
