Cape Coast, Nov.27, GNA – Mr James Adu Poku, the Disease Control Officer of the Cape Coast Metropolitan Health Directorate, has urged parents to take robust measures to protect their children under-five years from malaria and its related infections.
He said children under- five were most vulnerable to malaria because they had not yet developed any immunity to the disease.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Adu Poku said people of all ages were at risk of the severest form of the disease but in areas of high stable transmission, morbidity and mortality were high in young children.
He said the Metropolitan Health Directorate had from July to September, 2021, recorded 1,705 malaria in children under-five years with zero death from 27 health facilities.
There was a surge in the cases as compared to the second quarter where they recorded 854 such cases, representing a 13 per cent increase in malaria under-five, he said, and blamed the increase on parent’s non adherence to the right usage of the Long lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) and other protective steps.
Mr Adu Poku said male children under-five were the most infected as they accounted for more than 1,000 of the total of 1,705 cases for the third quarter.
July recorded the highest case of 640 , August 582, and September 483.
“We can beat malaria under five, the data even shows that the cases are reducing as the month unfolds and that is a good sign for us all , we only need to cooporate to make things better for our vulnerable children” he said.
He admonished all, especially parents, to be very concerned about the health of their little ones and help prevent the disease as it could be fatal.
GNA